After reading Closer than Close earlier this fall, I've been striving to live aware of my truest identity of Christ in me. I've been trying to continually live in the realization that I am not left alone in this tempestuous life with only my own failings and weaknesses to fall back on. I am ever in the care of and empowered by a Savior who intimately knows my struggles and has already secured my ultimate victory. What an amazing reality we are blessed to call our own, but how very easy it is to forget it!
So I'll take all the reminders I can get and I found a great one in Heather Holleman's book, Seated with Christ: Living Freely in a Culture of Comparison . I really enjoyed this deep, yet light hearted book that helps us to see Whose table we really belong at. I appreciated that Heather is a college English instructor so she brings an understanding and study of words as well as theology. She takes us to the Old Testament temples to see the never ending work of the priests and how it's purported that there wasn't even chairs for the priests because they had no time for rest. Then we go to Ephesians 2:6 where we find the inspiration for this book- "God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms." Heather explains how our Great Priest presented the ultimate sacrifice and then was seated at His Father's right hand. The work was finally done and He could rest- we can rest in his work.
He invites us to His table, just as we are-with our own unique giftings and weaknesses, and we can freely enjoy the Feast with our Brothers and Sisters- who Christ called just as they are. I love Heather's analogy of King Arthur's Round Table and how Christ calls us to a similar valued equality at His table. She goes on to elaborate on Seated Living and how we can experience it in our lives. When we realize Christ is captivated by us, we can radiate his beautiful glory to those around us. When we understand how rich we are in Christ, we van be truly generous. When we wrap our minds around the fact that Christ already achieved all we could ever need to, we can rest and abide in Him.
I really benefited from Heather's concluding chapters on four hard questions to ask yourself to move forward from finding your identity to living it out in the world around you. I appreciated her words about making yourself wholly available to God and then really "gathering" your life around what you feel Him calling you to. It truly is freeing to know are Seated and Sent.
Thank you to Moody Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book.
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