I used the following A.W. Tozer quote from The Pursuit of God
There is within the human heart a tough fibrous root of fallen life whose nature is to possess, always possess. It covets “things” with a deep and fierce passion. The pronouns “my” and “mine” look innocent enough in print, but their constant and universal use is significant…
They are verbal symptoms of our deep disease. The roots of our hearts have grown down into things, and we dare not pull up one root lest we die. Things have become necessary to us, a development never originally intended. God’s gifts now take the place of God, and the whole course of nature is upset by the monstrous substitution.
I’m saddened by how often I fall for the monstrous substitution allowing God’s gifts to take the place of God.
The pitiful reality is…
My worship.
My prayer.
My crying out.
It’s often not about God at all. It’s about what I want Him to give me.
I don’t want more of God. I want more of what I think He can give me.
The I and my and me monster is a hungry one that is seen too much in my life. More of Jesus and less of me is the goal!
That quote from Tozer is highlighted and underlined in my copy of The Pursuit of God.
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It’s so hard when you reach the point of knowing that all things come from Him because then you move into the “well, why won’t you…” mindset where it becomes about the gifts. “If God loves me, He would help me.” I sure don’t understand why He hasn’t done a lot of things and seemed like He didn’t show up at the times I needed Him most. I’m not Andy Stanley.
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wanting the gifts of God instead of God. it’s interesting that here in tanzania people often worship not only the gifts of God, but the very things he cursed in the fall. things like snakes, the ground, the harvest, etc. rather than worshiping the creator, they worship his curses. i guess we’re not far from there. but it also begs the question — are they gifts from God if we’re desiring them more than him. or do they cease to be gifts at that point?
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Good question James.
powerful
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Really powerful. I am going to be watching my pronouns this week.
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Thank you for sharing so transparently, Pete. I appreciate your blog because I can see that the challenges you give are ones you’re willing to take on in your own life. Thanks for your humility and consistency in challenging me to grow in my faith!
And thank you for sharing this quotation today. It was much needed.
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This borders on meddling! But, wow do I need it. I’m with Lindsey, this definitely calls for some pronoun monitoring.
Thank you Pete!
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A friend gave me a copy of the ‘Pursuit of God’ about 7 years ago. It took me several attempts to finally read the book and when I had, I was so impressed with A.W. Tozer that I started collecting his books. He had such a fire for God.
For those who have not read the book, here is a link to a free download as this work has become public domain. http://manybooks.net/titles/tozera2514125141-8.html
It is not a big book but it could mess you up in a big way…. especially if you are wrestling with the monstrous substitution that Tozer alludes to. Nothing can replace the Bible and Tozer does a great job of always pointing back to God through the Word.
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Sweet. Thanks for the link Tony!
Thanks, Tony, I’m going to download!
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“I don’t want more of God. I want more of what I think He can give me.”
I have asked myself “Why?” to the statement above many times. I often wonder if it’s from fear of being radically changed?
I’ll be thinking about this today.
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ouch!
How applicable and convicting!
Upon completing my masters’ thesis on the difference between Christians and non-Christians within their relationship attachments, I found 25% of Christians using their church relationships to get what they wanted. This reality has convicted me over the last 20 years now, reminding me of my own self indulgent spirit of taking from God and using others. Your words are spoken well and a reminding me, more of God, less of me.
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Wow, that’s interesting Gary.
Glad I’m not the only one that feels like this. When I pray I seem to focus on stuff I want God to do for me or what I need. I feel I am often missing the point.
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A Professor in College had all of us read a lot of Tozer. He loved him and transferred that love to all of his students.
I am very thankful for that. I have read TPOG a couple of times and like you say, its not a big (page number) book but has some huge thoughts.
Thanks Pete! What a challenge!
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Such a profound post and incredible quote by Tozer. Pete, yesterday’s message surrounding these thoughts was maybe one of the top three messages I’ve ever heard. I’ll definitely be listening to it again. Love it when you challenge us to dig deep and get serious about this thing called faith. Painful but necessary.
That means a lot coming from you Diane.
This is really rocking me! Thanks for a great message yesterday, Pete!
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This one really opened on my eye’s because a lot of my life if not all of it has been one of asking for something from God. If God sends that miracle I’m usually in awe of the miracle for a little bit then go about my busy life never really taking in the miracle. On the other hand though if he doesnt answer my prayer I kind of lash out at God. I put God in this lose lose situation because he gets blame in bad times and his miracles get praise in the good times and it usually isn’t that good of praise because in my selfish mind I think I prayed for it I probably should’ve got it just a selfish mindset. Then I just think of the Pharisee’s asking Jesus for a miracle and really all they were doing was putting him in a lose lose situation. So this one hit home and I got to work on praising God because without God there is no miracle. So I thank God for putting this on your heart Pete and I thank you for sharing it.
I struggle with this too. Thanks for the reminder. When I think about this issue in my life, I’m reminded of the song “Open Up the Sky” by Deluge. “…we don’t want blessings; we want you…” That’s where I want to be!
~Jennifer
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Powerful reminder. I love Tozer for how he always challenges me to dig deeper with God.
This is what we dealt with Sunday in church. We need to come to church to give to God, not always thinking about what we might receive. A powerful difference.
We worship God because He is worthy and because we love Him, not for what He can do for us but because of Who He is.
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stronge that this is your topic…. i have been struggling with this for some time now for several reasons… i want to feel the power of God and feel disconnected when i do not have some level of “feeling.” (maybe that is the dangerous part…. i also find myself wanting the gifts God has given others–probably because of the sparkle….
i want God to be enough but i am either afraid or i keep getting sidetracked… maybe it is a combination of the two.
I have Tozer on bookshelf and regretfully I have never read all the way through it. But this excerpt makes me want to real bad. The problem is that I have used the word “I” already more than needed already. This is a huge fault for myself, as well as others I know. Thanks Pete for the challenge to live a different way.
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In the summer of 2008 God asked me what I was willing to give up to follow him. How far was a willing to go?
That question rocked me to the core. And bit by bit He has been stripping all the nonessentials…all the relationships and material possessions that I placed on the mantel of importance above Him. All those idols I was denying. The truth has been eye-opening, difficult and heartwrenching.
My answer at the time and to this day? “I am willing to give up anything and everything.” Be careful what you vow before the throne of Grace
He has taken that answer to depths I never would have predicted or expected.
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so good (and painful to hear)
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I agree. Tozer has every right to say that having lived such a sacrificial and ascetic lifestyle.
A favorite of mine is “My Theology” or “What Christ/Church means to ME.” As if Christ allows us to pick and choose what truths work for us. I will grant that our experience to a truth may vary individually, but it ought to be based on an absolute.
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Nothing is mine… but it’s tough to live that way. Have to keep Christ’s words in mind:
“I am the Vine. You are the branches. He who abides in me and I in Him bears much fruit. For without me, you can do nothing.”
-Marshall Jones Jr.
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I have been focusing on John 3:30 since your FB post last week and it has really changed my perspective and prayer time.
I am not entitled to anything God has given me, not even the air in my lungs, starting with that fact each morning has really been humbling.
John 3:30…”He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less”.
i often watch pronouns to see how people (including me) refer to others too… my husband, my girlfriend, my job, my this my that… when i hear myself using “my” a lot… i know i’m in the wrong state-of-heart
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I just read this amazing quote from A.W. Tozer yesterday in Pete’s book and it was like getting zing-ed right between the eyes with a 2×4! True, painful and right to the point! OUCH!!!
That is the exact thing I have been struggling with this week – me, me, me. As I was writing out a prayer last night I noticed that I used “I” more than any other word – it immediately made me ask forgiveness and instead praise God and his holiness.
I’ve noticed it shows up in my prayers before anywhere else. I think our prayers are a great barometer of where our hearts are.
“God’s gifts now take the place of God, and the whole course of nature is upset by the monstrous substitution.”
WOW! That is powerful!
.-= Kevin M.´s last blog ..Sermon Synopsis 4/18 – What’s love got to do with it? Pt. 2 =-.
As always, I admire your transparency…and pray the same for me. The stuff of life gets in the way of the Author of life if we don’t pursue Him…and not His stuff. Thanks for the Tozer quote, and for your honest evaluation…and prompting to “examine ourselves.” Sure, it is more fun to examine others (and there is no shortage of “other examiners” within the Body)…but more necessary by far, and more pleasing to Him, to “examine ourselves.”
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thank you for sharing this post. It seems as if every post is a post that you truly think and meditate on. Thank you for opening your life to me and the rest of your blog readers.
Pete – once again, using few words you’ve communicated some great wisdom for all of us. The Pursuit of God should be compulsory reading for all believers..
Ian
This made me think of something I read Oswald Chambers once said, ‘We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.’
I linked to your blog in my post today…I always take something away when I read here.
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I am totally humbled by what you wrote, and impressed. It takes a very, very transparent pastor to be willing to say what you stated.
The deep needy sense God placed in us to posses was to be directed toward HIM, as Tozer said we try so hard to fill it with all kinds of stuff….spiritual and material…relational and virtual ….regardless we will always feel an empty sucking hole until we overflowingly fill it with HIM and Him alone.
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Forgot you were a Tozer fan. Great quote.
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