Inside Out: Larry Crabb

My take on a reading of the “Preface to the 25th Anniversary Edition”

8/14/21

The broad and narrow ways.

Broad: for those who do not know Jesus. The way that everybody can go their own way to the place they think best to best of their knowledge.

Narrow: for those who realize that they don't know where they are going and need a guide, in fact they need a savior who knows where they are supposed to go and how to get there, and that Savior is Jesus Christ.

4 types or stages of living:

The Managed Life (the broad way searching for The Blessed Life)

-The Wounded Life: the demand for relief. Recognizing that we are incomplete and unsatisfied. We are in spiritual pain.

-The Healing Life: driven by The Wounded Life, Nothing seems more necessary than relieving our pain, filling the empty void that demands attention. Whatever soothes our soul seems justified.

The Blessed Life (the narrow way which is  The Blessed Life)

-The Forming Life: Sparked by revelation of Jesus as the source of real living in this life. Intentional apprenticing of/by Jesus. Searching for and leaning into EVERY situation to do what Jesus obediently does, by example and by teaching, in the love and will of The Father.

-The Abundant Life: operating in relational love  that is activated by the infilling and process of Christ for God and ALL others. And experiencing the exquisite joy of seeing the light and glory of that love manifested in the darkness and pain of this fallen world regardless of, in fact, joyfully paying the price of this temporary currency we call living for the eternal promise of God that truly is life.

A demanding spirit grows when we evaluate God’s goodness by the blessings He provides and the relief from pain that He offers. We will rest in His goodness only if we redefine our “good,” the good He is working in us in every circumstance of life. Our greatest good is found in our opportunity arranged by God and in the power provided by Him to us to reveal Him to others whether we feel blessed or know suffering.