I’ve been mulling over for some time now the ways in which I need to deepen my application of what it means to be a Christian. I’ve been toying with the idea that the way to live with deep peace and satisfaction is to live deeply aligned with the character of God and the story we see unfolding throughout the Scriptures. The more I explore, learn and line up with these values, the greater the sense of peace. In some senses, this is the opposite of Ecclesiastes where the author has this great anxiety about all the foolish and vain ways to live and in the end returns to the simple maxim: ‘Fear God and follow His commandments’ (Ecc 12:13).

So I’ve begun re-reading Scripture with a view to stopping and reflecting on the implications and applications of some of the truths about God. Some of them play out in all sorts of ways and I’m not sure quite what it means to ‘line up’ with them. But that’s the point, I don’t want to stop here, I believe there is more to learn and discover. More life, more depth.

The image that comes to mind is of snorkelling. You see amazing things and all that you can do is great but…there are ocean depths to explore. I’d like to go deeper, to explore further.

Let me give you an example. I regularly pray with my kids that we would live out more of the fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). But I’m aware that for these things to grow in us, we can’t simply passively pray to receive ‘more kindness’ as if we’ll just wake up the next day kinder than we were the day before. Although asking for something regularly does set it in as a value. No, I think we need to go out and find ways to practice the kindness we have. We need to exercise it. The more we do that, the more it grows and the more it becomes a way of life. These character qualities are not secret and are all good. I want to tie those things together with other convictions so that it becomes a richer, stronger tapestry.

As a young man I became increasingly frustrated with the evangelical world I grew up in that seemed to only narrowly connect discipleship with church-going. Service with church rotas. Giving with the collection plate and so on. This narrow Sunday centric, church meeting focus never seemed bad it just seemed impoverished and insufficient. I still think that way. But I’ve noticed a trend in myself in recent years that sometimes this is all I seem to manage sometimes. It’s taught me a little bit of humility but also deepened my longing for deeper, bluer waters. The Bible, Jesus, God, is a universe of unexplored treasures and in whatever time I have left, I think I’d be served well by diving in.

Some of my friends are sharp theologians and Bible students and scholars. That’s not me. I’m interested but I find myself far more interested in the everyday applications and explorations. The life implications you could say. This blog started with those sort of questions. What does it mean to live well in a consumer age? How do we resist consumerism and that way of life and instead pursue a deeper, richer way of life that is rooted in the way of Christ? I’m still interested in those questions, that’s still the sort of thing that puts a twinkle in my eye.

But I have a sense that it might be both broader and deeper. I need to be open to a variety of implications and have the freedom to explore a few avenues even if they turn out to be dead ends or side roads.

I always find these sort of projects more enjoyable when they are in conversation with others, when others feed into, encourage, constructively question or simply point to resources for consideration. Welcome along.