Jim Cymbala makes an astute statement when wording, Just as our culture in general is taken up with a victim mentality, where everything is somebody else's fault, to be relieved by psychotherapy, government handouts, or litigation, so in the church people are saying, "It's the devil's fault.
Don't blame me." No wonder there is little brokenness of spirit among us.
Broken. Oh how I don't like that word. I can't imagine ever liking that feeling of sheer yuckness that leaves us empty; oh so lonely and empty. Yet, it's where I live, where we live, as well we should.
To avoid occasional inner shattering, we build defense by blaming...some thing or some one. But life won't flow from such a hideout. Each of us is in desperate need of a stabilizing thread; admission combined with confession. We gain momentum when I can admit that it is me that is off-center, it is me that doesn't have my act together, and it is me who is the greater sinner of any other person I would know.
Yet, that's just one-half of the stability force. The other portion is the confession that while we can't, God can. Life, productive and meaningful life, is executed from His muscle; not mine. That Positive Thinking Rally slogan of the 70s, If it is to be, it is up to me, is quite the misnomer. If anything is to be it is up to Him. I (we) haven't the strength nor the mental prowess to orchestrate the big and needed moves for uplifting a broken world.
This is why we believe...in the One who can. This is why we pray. This is why we read the Word to absorb one more time the can do of God. It is from this framework that we set out to reach the whole world...or maybe overcome a moment of discouragement.
Try not to fold up wishing to evaporate when you don't get life done well. If you can, tell God thank you that you can't; but you know that He can. When you've about had it up to here with yourself, you can be assured....God has great work going on in you.
No comments:
Post a Comment