You know the routine.
You hear someone tell about a unique experience of faith and how powerfully God had worked in their lives. Maybe it was a neighbor or a close friend who tells you about the ancient missionary George Mueller who regularly arose at four o'clock in the morning to pray.
I hear that and think ~ 'I should do that. I need to pray more.' At that very moment, I silently resolve to rise earlier and devote more time to God in solitude and silence. But after just a day or two, everyone in my household has experienced the grumpiness and confrontational attitude of my early mornings. I don't give up though. I am determined it's something I SHOULD BE DOING! It doesn't really matter whether or not I'm miserable, I have decided to do the 'spiritual thing.' (When I get in this mode I am ruthless ~ not a pretty picture, I know). Eventually I stop ~ it's just too much. That's when the waves of guilt wash over me.
Is this 'living by grace'?
John Ortberg, senior pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church says,
"We teach people how to be saved by grace, but we often do not teach people how to live by grace."
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