SCL

I love Serious Wednesdays. And too many times has this happened. I don't know about with all women, but I know with me it was always, ok new diet, by becoming thinner I want you to make me happier, fulfilled and make me feel important, wanted, and loved. Do it. Now. That never works. Thanks for the reminder.

Do you ever notice that sometimes, God just slaps you in the face with something you need to hear? What you're talking about is the exact lesson that God has been trying to teach me – again – recently. Thanks, Jon, for being the vehicle for God to drive that point home to me.

God, now I get it.

It is a good thing that there isn't much around in your category- less competition for sales!

At the Christian book store i shop at they've classified your book as Humour/Trivia/Puzzles.

Thanks Jon…I needed that this morning. Throughout my life I have always looked for the next thing that will save me (financialy, spiritualy, emotionaly) Thanks for putting into perspective. You usually do. Bless you Brother.

Yup. I've got a job interview next week (the day before Thanksgiving, who does that?) and I'm am so freaked out, because I've built up the idea in my head that having a permanent, full-time job is going to make everything okay. And if I don't get it, well, that says all sorts of terrible things about me, doesn't it?

Thanks for the reminder that the answer to that question is "no."

Great insight today, it’s so easy for people to forget Jesus as crazy as that sounds. Kind of like when Christians are/have been in situations struggling and say “well I guess all we can do now is pray”. Like they forgot to pray all along; sounds crazy to the more mature Christian but believe me it happens. (BTW, I thought I was the only person that felt that way walking into Barnes & Noble). 

I think we usually put our own happiness or whatever on other things and other people because we won't feel as responsible when we get depressed. With Christ we want there to be a magical prayer experience that just fixes us, but when it doesn't we end up looking elsewhere.

Even when we put all our hope, and joy, and … in Christ we will have days where we don't "feel" it, but that doesn't mean Jesus isn't working that day. He didn't call in, or decide to play a few rounds of Frisbee golf. Sometimes it doesn't even mean we are broken or somehow distant from God all of the sudden. Life happens and part of that means growing and changing moods.

We need to know that God desires to be with us in all of our moods so just because we are in Him doesn't mean we will be "fixed" and always happy. We can be content and complete though.

YOU GOT IT. Not only doesn't that thing, event, circumstance *not* fix us, sometimes it even makes us worse.

So you get the job… [and start loving the money, and working extra, and you're just a rat in a maze, forgetting why we're here];
So you get the new car ….[and immediately begin hating everyone who's not careful opening their own cardoor, and people who dare to get in your car with drinks, and all children, and everyone who uses a grocery cart]
So you lose the last 5 pounds….[and now you're full of pride, rocking those jeans so lots of non-husband men can enjoy looking at you];
So your book really takes off… [and you're traveling all over the U.S. on booktour and being interviewed by Today [so now your girls grow up without you, and your wife's a defacto single mom without a fulltime husband];

Not only are our "blessings" (the ones we would choose) NOT blessings, sometimes they're the devil's playground.

all joking aside…thank you for that post. So timely. So full of absolute truth.

Excellent! Wow, great thoughts as I aim to finish my book … actually, some pressure has been lifted

But what does that mean? What does it look like every day for Jesus to be saviour? In other words, what does salvation look like? For me its easy to understand Jesus is saviour, my main problem is that most of the time I don't feel very saved.

It's weird for me when I forget that it's Wednesday and I start reading away, all willy-nilly and whatnot. Then I'm surprised-blessed. It's an odd feeling when you're not expecting it.
Thanks Jon!

I needed to hear that too. Having written a book of my own this summer, I'm now on the slow, excruciating quest for a publisher who'll take it. Thank God this book isn't supposed to save me, or I'd be toast by now. (Pray for me!!)

@Ian

You know what the brilliant thing about salvation is? You don't need to *feel* it. I don't always feel like I'm saved, but I know I am because the Bible says I am. In fact, I'd say that *most* of the time I don't feel like I'm saved.

Romans 10:9 says, 'That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.'

I needed that thanks. That being both a Scrooge McDuck visual (still makes me smile after all these years) and to be remind that even when I don' t feel Him or very fulfilled He's still there.

Barnes and Noble Rules!!!!!

Jon, When are you going to adress the "Huggie" and its roles in today's Western Post Modern Christian generation.

Jon, this is my favorite post of yours ever ever ever ever. Resonates HUGE with me. Tweeting it now.

So much truth here, Jon. Only He can fill our deepest needs. And I'm so thankful that He can–and willingly does.

By the way, I love B&N, too

Rebeccamh hit my nail on the head…the first thing I thought of was my belief that becoming slim and trim would essentially make me a new person. I've tried a number of times but it still hasn't happened, and within the last couple of years it finally dawned on me – and what a chilling realization it was, too! – that even if I ever attained my desired weight, while I might "look like a new person" on the outside, on the inside, I'd still be carrying all my old insecurities.

Hi, I'm new to your blog and wanted to comment! Any desire to be noticed and find our value in things outside of Christ always falls short doesn't it?

Also, thank you for the scrooge mcduck reference, it makes me smile!

Wonderful job!!! Absolutely wonderful. Savior moments! Yes! Blessings on your journey!

This post reminded me of something a pastor who is on the faculty at the church camp i attend (for "young adults") said this summer…"you can't be their savior. that position is already taken"

thanks for that – i needed the reminder today

I woke up this morning feeling very low – pretty much every area of my life is difficult or disappointing right now and it's really weighing me down this week. I prayed but it didn't lift me. And then I read this post and these comments…and I am reminded that I am focusing on the wrong things.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Prov. 3:5

Thanks, Jon…thanks, commenters…but most of all, thanks, God!!

Thanks so much, Jon!

Just so you know, I'm still passing out the buttons I asked for at Cultivate (Chicago). If I rep your books, like I rep your buttons, I'll be wearing the book around my neck like a Mr. T necklace. Yeeeeeeee, I'm gangsta'.

Only Jesus saves,
B

Yes. I went to NY, NY two weekends ago to take an FBI entrance exam. I had it all planned out too. I'm going to get this job, move to VA, get into a house, my wife won't have to work, and on and on. But, I failed the test so now I'm getting hit with reality by God saying, "Your plans are not my plans."

I'm still dealing with the failure but seeing what God has in store for me. http://nicodemusatnite.blogspot.com/2009/11/sayin...

I've never heard such an accurate description of how I feel in a bookstore! Thank you for reminding us what real surrender looks like.

This exact sentiment is what has kept me going for the past few months. God has continually brought me to a place of realizing that He is all I need. But my heart is so quick to default back to panic.

Raising financial support to feed my family sucks.

But for me to run from it to "a real job" would be cowardice and fear of man. So I plug on.

And the thing that keeps me plugging is the thought "the position of savior is taken."

awesome- def going to share this one!

You could put up this exact post every single Wednesday and I would still need to hear it more.

One of the best posts I've ever read on your site, Jon… and that's saying something!

Thanks for the thought. This morning's verse was: "The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:" – 1 Corinthians 2:15

Figured this was a good way to view the rejections we get from publishers. eddiejones.org

I love this! Mainly because I too, have dreamed of swimming through tons of books – aahhhhh!

But also because I LOVE your Wednesday posts. I think you are ready to write a book that sounds a lot like "Serious Wednesdays".

And if we have to petition for a new section in B & N, I'm up for that too. I can be pushy when I have to.

I recently went on a job interview that would have resulted in doubling my family income had I gotten the position. I was obviously disappointed when I didn't get the job but also noticed how quickly my wife and I went from, "God will take care of our needs," to "With this new job we can afford to…" The money quickly became our savior. I'm still disappointed about not getting the job, but am thankful to God for the lessons He taught me about my priorities. Also made me reconsider how "strong" of a Christ follower I really was. Nice post – thanks for sharing.

I thought owning a house would make me an excellent violinist. Never mind that I've never even picked up the instrument! It was also going to improve my strained relationship with my mother, make men fall at my feet and fill me with light and joy. No one ever told me I'd have to snake shower drains & touch up paint! I think I actually heard God laughing (with me, of course!) when I confessed it to Him. He is so good. Why do I chase after the temporal when He offers the eternal?

It's a good thing — no, a GREAT thing — that no other books like yours exist. The last thing you want to do is be a copycat fighting for an already saturated market. You've found a great niche, and that's a recipe for success.

But, in all seriousness, the fact that there are so few Christian humor books is a symptom of a big problem. Christians don't know how to laugh at themselves. We take ourselves too seriously. We can't poke fun at the things that are weird about religious people. But that's step one to understanding and improving.

A second real problem you highlight is that the Christian book market is almost entirely comprised of books selling you a better life — how to pray a special prayer that God can use to expand your territory, how to eat a biblical diet and stay healthy, how to get rich. All these are really substitute saviors, if you think about it. How few are the books that actually talk about the real Savior!

Amen! Thanks for being transparent on this one. Everyday, I struggle with that urge to look outside of Christ for significance and meaning, and it never works. It seems to be getting worse as I get closer to accomplishing some lifelong dreams, and honestly its driving me to "drink" (not really…my mom just use to say that all of the time) But it seems that the closer you get to your vision, the ugly stuff starts to come out….like covetousness and envy…it's gross, but it's there at the core. We always want more and to be more. It reminds me that I need a Savior still and not to get to big for my own britches. It reminds to "eat dirt". Thanks for sharing. We needed it.

Okay, I seriously hope your next book is going to be along the lines of Serious Wednesdays. I know your next book won't save you either…but this is GREAT stuff! And totally written just for me. I call myself the When Then girl…when we buy a house, then I'll be happy. When we have a baby, then I'll be happy. When I get my kitchen remodeled, then I'll be happy. And you totally nailed it. Expecting external "stuff" to make me happy is never going to happen. It's only when I turn from the external to God that I begin to find solace, peace, true joy. Unfortunately, that happens far too infrequently. It's a struggle. I ask God for help every day. I write about it a lot on my blog. Anyway, I'm totally rambling. My point is to say thank you, thank you, for the reminder I need at least 42 times daily.

Think how much more awesome you're going to make B&N when you do a book-signing tour! We'll dive in and not just get to swim around in books, we'll also be bombarded with raining Skittles and run around fist-bumping each other like the Booty God Booty fist.

The sweaty was a given : ), but did you really feel all faint and dizzy and have to sit down? That's terrible. I'm glad God reminded you that He delights in you. He does.

You are a wonderful writer – it's like your standing right there telling me this story… Thanks!

I had to stop reading this because it was very haunting.
I am thankful for Serious Wednesdays, but they themselves will not save me.
Thanks for that reminder.

PS: You could do what Donald Miller did with Blue Like Jazz and just take your book off the Christian shelf and replace one of the books from the best sellers shelf in B&N or Borders. Worked pretty well for him.

I heart this post very much. Jon, God is using you in mighty ways. Thanks for being willing.

That is truth told simply. I am blessed to read this.

We need to remind ouselves of this every day. I want to be my own savior. If not that, then I look to the physical. I constantly forget who my savior really is. Thanks, Jon! This post helped a lot.

And I have never done the smiley face thing before. Ok, now I did.

So true and a great reminder. Idolatry is believing that anything or anyone else is our source. When we figure out that only He is, we worship…

So good.

My biggest example of this was getting my degree and trusting it it's earning power. For five months, I saw no entry-level jobs on the market. The day I realized what I had been doing and repented, I found an even dozen. And landed one just a month later.

I think we quickly ask church to be our savior and when drama unfolds (as it always does) we are so bitter and let down. That's why SCL is so refreshing. We laugh at our quirks and mistakes, and realize only Jesus is perfect.

Thanks for the post Jon!

It's good to know that God meets us in the middle of the "dissapointments" and what we consider failure and writes His own story. Sometimes life is just plain hard. The circumstances in my life right now are pretty crushing. But in the middle of that Jesus continues to meet me and remind me that He really will see me through and complete the work He's doing in my life. He meets me in the brokenness and reminds me again and again that He is merciful and compassionate and understands. It's good to know that my identity isn't based on what I can do or even what I've accomplished. It's so true that nothing else can take His place there. No person, thing or job can take His place.

"I wish Barnes & Noble had a diving board instead of a front door.

That way, I could jump into the books and swim around like Scrooge McDuck in his money bin.

I want to run down the aisles with my arms open wide pulling books from the shelf that I then roll around in and laugh, laugh, laugh the day away while Natasha Beddingfield’s “Unwritten” plays in the background.

I love bookstores."

BEST INTRO EVER. I feel the same way.