To be able to finish a book on my own account, any kind of books, I'd say could be some sort of a marker of major milestones in my life. And I'm proud to say, I made it through.
Not that the book was a chore or anything close to that, just my lack of discipline to follow through. In fact, Passion and Purity is such a good read, I have been revisiting my tags and favourite quotes from the book over and over again. Love it!
Though mainly a book on relationships, it is the principles of surrendering and obedience that stood out for me over and over again in this title. The reality that we all struggle (passion) but have the capacity for purity through surrender and obedience. Decided to relive the book again before returning it to its rightful owner (long overdue, must've been about a year ago since I borrowed it). These quotes inspired and taught me so much:
'The fair new petals must fall, and for no visible reason. No one seems enriched by the stripping. And the first step into the realm of giving is a like surrender - not manward but Godward: an utter yielding of our best. So long as our idea of surrender is limited to the renouncing of unlawful things, we have never grasped its true meaning: that is not worthy of the name for "no polluted thing" can be offered'
'If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it is because pieces will feed a multitude, while a loaf will satisfy only a little lad'
'Discipleship usually brings us into the necessity of choice between duty and desire. They are not always mutually exclusive however.'
'Waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one's thoughts'
'Waiting means:
Steadfastness, that is holding on
patience, that is holding back
expectancy, that is holding the face up
obedience, that is holding one's self in readiness to go or do
listening, that is holding quiet and still so as to hear'
'The effect of my troubles depends not on the nature of the troubles themselves but on how I receive them. I can receive them with both hands in faith and acceptance, or I can rebel and reject.'
'Wouldn't a mere simple request from God to trust Him be sufficient? Is it absolutely necessary for Him to yank out of sight whatever we most prize, to drag us into spiritual traumas of the severest sort, to strip us naked in the winds of His purifying Spirit in order that we should learn to trust?'
'Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature altogether. It does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands in the teeth of suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son. That was the proof of His love - that He gave that Son, that He let Him go to Calvary's cross, though "legions of angels" might have rescued Him. He will not necessarily protect us - not from anything it takes to make us like His son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process'
'If you goal is purity of heart, be prepared to be thought very odd'
'We belonged first to Christ, wanting Him to claim our hearts' affections before all others'
