So during my devotion time today God gave me a revelation. In part because of Dave's musings here.
When it comes to a relationship with our Father we don't need to pray harder, worship better, act purer, or try to improve our relationship with Him by shear force of will. What we need to do when we are feeling stuck or in a rut, when God is desiring to draw us closer to Him as Dave said, we need to get back to the basics.
Really all that looks like is just spending time with Him! Praying, reading some verses, but ultimately reflecting and thinking on Him. I know it isn't easy, even though it sounds like it. We are way to distracted in this culture. I don't need to elaborate on that point. We all know. But when we can get back to the basics and just draw near to God something amazing happens.
We don't need to pray for strength or deliverance or good will because God will give us exactly what we need automatically. He will supply us out of His great abundance because we are already ready to receive! All we need to focus on is doing our part to stay close to Him. To make sure that we are doing our part of the relationship; daily, hourly, every minute if possible!
I suppose this isn't a new concept but God has affirmed this in me today. It's not about our force of will and strength to do His work. There is no way we ever could. But as long as we concentrate on our part and stay near Him in relationship, He will do His work through us. Speak, act, live, breath through us. With us in fact! Not us apart while He uses our bodies, but use us directly, allowing us to take part in His plan! God didn't make us intelligent and creative and unique just to push us aside while He uses our bodies. He delights in seeing how each individual does things differently I think.
Anyway I've strayed from my original point. Let's get back to the basics of this Christian walk. The relationship between us and God is essential and is the only thing that allows His spirit to work. We know this. So why aren't we acting like it? Let's get back to Him.
Chris
Monday, June 6, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
0-001 Ennui & the power of the Spirit
This was written as a kind of flow-of-consciousness during our last basement service at church. Apologies for the seeming lack of cohesiveness; it all works together....really.
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Man could not keep God’s laws -- OR -- Man could not match God’s character; & therefore act in holiness.
Jesus was fully human. Jesus, therefore would suffer the same failings that the rest of us have - an inability to consistently act with righteousness. Only by a complete merging with & yielding to the Spirit of God did Jesus overcome these failings. The perfection inferred upon Jesus by Christians today is not owed so much to His cosmic origin & position in the Kingdom - although these are crucial; but we find his perfect action & righteous thinking arise from His full & perfect union with the Spirit.
Therefore, our (us followers of the Way) actions & thoughts are no longer subject to our outward circumstances - although these are important; but we now have access & opportunity to the same Spirit as Jesus - & therefore the same perfection of action & thought that He exhibited during His life on earth.
Where does ennui for the Christian come from? Why do we feel the wind die from our sails? Re-assessment? Yes. When “progress” seems to stop in our lives, God is calling our attention to Himself. He’s not calling you to greater holiness or discipline or more works. He is simply calling us to greater & deeper relationship with Himself. Any of those other external things may (or may not) follow, but they mean nothing without the anchor of deep relationship with the Father; a relationship that takes just as much time & investment as any other human relationship.
Being filled with the Spirit means, for us, that the Father is palpably present with us at all times, in every situation, just like any good friend sharing life with another. Subsequently, reading Scripture or singing hymns holds no greater place within God’s pleasure than playing golf, Xbox or any other thing we might enjoy.
Worship is not required of us. God’s a big boy. He is pleased with Himself & His work. He has no need for our worship or approval. Worship, in any mode, is for our benefit. In holy worship, we rest rightly within our place in the universe; we align with the Cosmos.
____________________________________________________________
Man could not keep God’s laws -- OR -- Man could not match God’s character; & therefore act in holiness.
Jesus was fully human. Jesus, therefore would suffer the same failings that the rest of us have - an inability to consistently act with righteousness. Only by a complete merging with & yielding to the Spirit of God did Jesus overcome these failings. The perfection inferred upon Jesus by Christians today is not owed so much to His cosmic origin & position in the Kingdom - although these are crucial; but we find his perfect action & righteous thinking arise from His full & perfect union with the Spirit.
Therefore, our (us followers of the Way) actions & thoughts are no longer subject to our outward circumstances - although these are important; but we now have access & opportunity to the same Spirit as Jesus - & therefore the same perfection of action & thought that He exhibited during His life on earth.
Where does ennui for the Christian come from? Why do we feel the wind die from our sails? Re-assessment? Yes. When “progress” seems to stop in our lives, God is calling our attention to Himself. He’s not calling you to greater holiness or discipline or more works. He is simply calling us to greater & deeper relationship with Himself. Any of those other external things may (or may not) follow, but they mean nothing without the anchor of deep relationship with the Father; a relationship that takes just as much time & investment as any other human relationship.
Being filled with the Spirit means, for us, that the Father is palpably present with us at all times, in every situation, just like any good friend sharing life with another. Subsequently, reading Scripture or singing hymns holds no greater place within God’s pleasure than playing golf, Xbox or any other thing we might enjoy.
Worship is not required of us. God’s a big boy. He is pleased with Himself & His work. He has no need for our worship or approval. Worship, in any mode, is for our benefit. In holy worship, we rest rightly within our place in the universe; we align with the Cosmos.
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