A few years ago, when I was in a meal group at The Upper Room, we were assigned to read this book. However, I wasn't at a place in my life where I felt very interested in what McManus had to say. Though he was an excellent speaker, I wasn't pursuing God's will for my life very closely. I was recovering from God pretty much knocking me flat on my face, and I was hurt. I read the first chapter, and put it on a shelf. A lot has changed since then. A few months ago, I felt this book calling me from the shelf in my room. I am so glad that I read it.
In Chasing Daylight, McManus uses 1 Samuel chapter 14 and the story of Jonathon fighting the Philistines as a baseline for the entire book. For those of you who aren't familiar with this Bible story, Jonathon takes himself and one armor bearer to fight the Philistines, while his father, the king, sits underneath a tree because he is too fearful of these giants. McManus talks about not letting divine moments pass you by, being motivated to move even when you are uncertain. You should read the book, you really should. Here is one part of many, that has inspired me.
One of the most asked questions among sincere followers of Jesus Christ is, "What is God's will for my life?" We want a detailed map or plan. We want God to spell it out so we can follow the instructions. Too often we want it clear and uncomplicated, but God simply does not work like that. For a lot of us the most spiritual thing we can do is to do something- to turn right when we want to turn left. So we must move beyond simply choosing between right and wrong. We must resolve not only to leave the path of doing evil, but also to passionately pursue a life of doing good.
The danger is getting stuck in between the two, living your life in the neutral zone. No real evil to speak about, but no great good to be proud of either. This takes us beyond having nothing to be ashamed of to being ashamed of doing nothing. It is rarely counted as evil when we live in neutral. At worst a passive life is only pitied, yet God counts it as a tragedy when we choose to simply watch life rather than live it. Jesus described as wicked the person who leaves his talent unused. When we fail to choose, we choose to fail. You cannot put your life on hold. It moves forward with or without your approval. Choosing not to choose does not put off the problem; it only exacerbates it.
God designed us to move through time with intentionality. Even waiting on God is a proactive activity. Whether it's reflection or revoluction, each moment deserves our creative engagement. (McManus, p. 45-46)
You can find McManus at a church called Mosaic, a multi-campus church in the L.A. area. Here is the web address.
www.mosaic.org
There are also podcasts available. And anyone can borrow my copy of this book. He has other books which I have not read, but are on my list. In my opinion, this is a great book for a church to read as a group.
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