August 20: Completeness
I promise this is not a cop-out. Before I comment on today's reading, I really want to hear what all of you thought of it. I've read this many times before, but today it hit me in a totally new, exciting way.
So Kevin, Stacie, and Tucker, (and alnyone else who might we out there), please let me hear from you. This one is worth some discussion. Kevin, I know it might still be a few days before you have access to a computer, but later is better than never.
Jesus, help us all to learn how to be complete in You. The possibilities are amazing! We need you to be our "all in all," not just for our sakes, but for the world around us. Help us to fight self-pity and let You "poise us until the completeness is absolute." May the Holy Spirit reveal this lesson as it is meant to be understood to all of us.
So Kevin, Stacie, and Tucker, (and alnyone else who might we out there), please let me hear from you. This one is worth some discussion. Kevin, I know it might still be a few days before you have access to a computer, but later is better than never.
Jesus, help us all to learn how to be complete in You. The possibilities are amazing! We need you to be our "all in all," not just for our sakes, but for the world around us. Help us to fight self-pity and let You "poise us until the completeness is absolute." May the Holy Spirit reveal this lesson as it is meant to be understood to all of us.
posted by Jane at 5:32 AM
3 Comments:
Sometimes Chambers' thoughts can be pretty deep...this is one of those times.
I think I'm going to take this one section at a time.
"Whenever anything begins to disintegrate your life wi
Stacie, you really nailed it with your comments on Americans' predisposition for self-pity. It is definitely a culturally learned response that seriously diminishes our power as Christians. You other comments also touched me deeply.
Yes, this was definitely a hard lesson, but one that I think will be a seed that germinates within us over the next few weeks. I know that I can already feel it growing in me.
Thank you so much for giving us so much of your time to expound on these thoughts so inspiringly. As a matter of fact, the next time you are commenting this deep, I think you should share it on the regular posting to make sure no one else will miss seeing it.
Kevin, you are so right about our human consciences and the unproductive guilt they cause. I have learned over the years that there is a big difference between condemnation and correction. Whenever we have done something wrong and start feeling crushed by condemning thoughts, we can be sure that is from Satan. He tries to kill our spirits with thoughts like "You are so stupid," "You never do anything right," or "You'll never make a difference." That sort of guilt is a staggering burden and never comes from God.
When the Holy Spirit corrects, He is gentle and specific. His thoughts tell us exactly where we err and what we need to do to make it right. We will think, "It was unkind to yell at that child. I need to ask his forgiveness and explain that Jesus would never act like that." Those kinds of thoughts not only give a plan of action to help us relieve the guilt, but they are also very redemptive. The problem is that the Holy Spirit is such a gentleman that His voice is always quiet and undemanding and easily drowned out by Satan's condemnation and our own cries of self-pity. It is our job to stay so tuned to His voice that we can be as Twila Paris states in a song, "It's a voice so still and quiet that I can hear it anywhere."
Years ago I found a scripture that I use to battle Satan's condemnation, II Corinthians 10:5, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, AND WE TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT TO MAKE IT OBEDIENT TO CHRIST." Whenever I start beating myself up over something I have done wrong, I picture myself taking that unproductive argument and making it a prisoner which I throw into a special corner of my mind that I have designated as the Condemnation Prisoner of War Camp. The problem is that the security is sometimes not too good there and those thoughts escape, but I just round them up again and throw them back in prison. I guess that is my way of removing the "dis-peace."
Post a Comment
<< Home