January 25
Posted: January 25, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized 2 Comments »But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. Romans 7:17-20
I don’t get this – but it is certainly true for me and lots of my friends. God’s grace is quite surprising, in that it rarely is experienced until we can accept that we are dangling from the end of a rope, staring down into the deep abyss of personal powerlessness.
Until there is something we cannot manage, we probably will not experience transformation. Until we know we can’t, we will keep trying to muscle our way into the kingdom of God.
What do we need? Do we need a spouse who turns a blind eye to our porn problems? Do we need our church, spouse, children and co-workers to be more understanding and patient? Do we need our parents to trust us more and judge us less?
More on what we really need tomorrow….
i think that most of the time, what we think we need really isn’t a need but a want. we want a lot of things that we don’t really need. i find that sometimes what i want is the exact opposite of what i really need. i’m slowly learning to be content with what i do have and trust the Lord to provide what i really need. while i’m waiting i have work to do, both for Him and on myself understanding that most of the work on me is simply to be open to His action
my wants/needs are directly linked to my concious contact with God – disconnected i want to rule the world in my skinny jeans, eat cookies and feel thin, stay up all night and sleep till noon, and shop till i drop, get a spray tan, botox injections, and a life-style lift (don’t worry the last three items on my list are only fantasies…except for the spray tan once…)…oh and NOT have anyone know i’m doing any of this…when i disconnect i am sure all of these activities are completely and entirely what i want – after doing this quite a lot neural ruts are deeply etched in my brain. connecting and reconnecting with God…well, that is like a long cool drink on a hot day after a good workout…looking up into a clear blue sky on a cloudless day…talking and laughing with girlfriends over coffee and forgetting how old we really are…aren’t these all just the best best things? how funny to think that i can still choose one over the other sometimes…
staying open to His action – that’s a helpful thought, Dalvin