God, Do You Want Me There?

Last year, after the first day of the New Attitude Conference, Suzanne Hadley, from the great team at Boundless.com blogged the following entry. I share it here in the hopes that it will inspire some of you to make the road trip to Louisville, KY, to join us for Na 2007 later this month.

Saturated. That is how I would describe my state of mind having passed through my first 24 hours of New Attitude. I have always loved 1 Timothy 4:12, where Paul encourages the young man to not let people look down on him because he is young. The 2,500 attendees of New Attitude embody a bold answer to that call. There is an urgency here—in everything from worship to witnessing on the plane to conversations with friends—that is often missing in young people.

Last night, Joshua Harris talked about rediscovering a "humble orthodoxy." He charged us to be a generation that faithfully handles the truth as Paul encourages in 2 Timothy 2:15: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth." Instead of viewing the gospel as play dough that we can shape into something new and innovative, Josh encouraged us to view the gospel as a diamond. How can we best hold up God's truth, untarnished, for all to see?

The first step is to live the truth personally. Paul compares believers to vessels in a house (v. 20). Some vessels are set aside for honorable use and some for dishonorable use. The dishonorable vessels are followers of Jesus who continue to dwell in sin. Paul says, "flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace." (v. 22) Though we often think of lust in a sexual context, Josh pointed out that in this context Paul seems to be encouraging Timothy to put aside the arrogant and impulsive attitude of youth.

This was convicting. Our generation is proud. We act as if we have it figured out. We forge ahead without counsel. We bristle at accountability. We reject authority. And yet these are the very things that God uses to cultivate greater righteousness and faith in our lives. Part of faithfully handling the truth, Josh said, is representing the truth with humility. We have not earned the gospel, so we have no reason to be arrogant about it. "We need to be humbled by the truth," he said, "and, in turn, share that truth in humility. Rediscover what has always been true. Embrace a humble orthodoxy."

I think it will be worth it. My encouragement to you is to take the plunge. Go for it.

Maybe you've never heard of Na. Maybe you have but you're on the fence about attending this year. The team at Na, led by my buddy Eric Simmons, have planned an incredible time. I hope you won't miss it.

Please take two minutes (okay, maybe 3) to check out the Na Conference site. Then pray a simple prayer: "God, do you want me there?"

If the answer is yes, the details can be worked out. And I hope you'll come tell me at the conference how God worked it all out. See you there.