In the blanks below write the two most significant statements in today’s reading assignment. Be prepared to discuss why the statements you chose were significant to you.
“Our Lord did not… – but these are byproducts of godliness, not primary goals for the Christian life – This is an important distinction to keep a good perspective.
“As believers, we can no more please and serve God effectively in our own strength than my grandfather could pull a plow in his own strength.”
Describe a time when you tried to change something in your own life without the Holy Spirit’s help and describe the resulting miserable defeat.
“I have in the past cleaned up my messes enough to host a party or let family visit, but I haven’t changed my behaviors and choices of time use that caused the messes to accumulate, so they’ve returned almost immediately.”
…List two unbiblical goals for change that you may have experienced in your own life or that you may have seen in the lives of others.
“Some people keep a neat and tidy house so they can pridefully show off their perfect showplace and win in the ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ game.
“I like parties and I love games, so while I hope coming over and playing at my house is fun and a blessing for others, that is second to it being fun for me.”
What does Romans 8:14 mean when it says that God’s children are led by the spirit of God?
“‘The Holy Spirit’s leadership in a [person’s] life is one of the chief evidences of that [person’s] salvation.’”
Complete this sentence from the text: The filling of the Spirit refers to “the supernatural work of the spirit within a believer, whereby that believer is enabled and or empowered to become like Christ (sanctification) and become useful to Christ (service)”
Praise “You are amazing and awesome.”
Repent “I’m sorry I’m not more steadily focused on You.”
Yield “Help me to want to serve You and others more than and before myself.”
Dearest Rachel –
In Christian circles, one is often reminded of the fact that one cannot obtain salvation by one’s own efforts; it’s been compared (and I mentioned it in passing not too long ago) to trying to leap across Lake Michigan under our own power (although I’ve also seen it described as ‘jumping to Catalina,’ presumably from the Santa Monica pier; it probably depends on the teller’s – and their audience’s – frame of reference).
What we sometimes (often?) forget is that it’s not just the getting to God that’s impossible with only our own strength, but the working for Him, as well. Certainly I forget this a lot, and hope that just showing up and doing the work, filling the need, regardless of whether I’m ‘feeling it’ or not, is sufficient for His purposes. And while this means the task at hand gets accomplished, it may be lacking something.
[L And] Without faith no one can please God. [L For; Because] Anyone who comes to God must believe that he ·is real [exists] and that he rewards those who ·truly want to find [earnestly/sincerely seek] him.
Hebrews 11:6, Expanded Bible
I often find myself believing that it’s faith that I lack, but on reviewing this standard of faith, I would think that I actually meet the criteria (although I think James would insist that it barely comes up to the ‘faith’ of the demons, so that’s literally damning with faint praise). Then again, faith isn’t sufficient to make what I do sufficient to please God, either:
I may have the gift of prophecy. I may understand all ·the secret things of God [L mysteries] and have all knowledge, and I may have faith so great I can move mountains. But even with all these things, if I do not have love, then I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2, Expanded Bible
In summary, it’s not something I think I’m capable of. And before you try to tell me I was capable of loving you, remember this is that perfect love, ἀγάπη, which I question whether any human is can demonstrate on their own. What we had may have had a little of it mingled in, but what there was was but a pale imitation, which is all we can do as flawed humans.
Meanwhile, we have our own secular reasons for self-improvement, as you write above. Your focus here, as always (since you never could get out from under this struggle) was on cleaning up the house, while mine has been toward losing weight through diet and exercise. Both of these have been based on the desire to impress others (including your conjecture regarding other people’s motivations; I wonder who you had in mind at the time. Martha Stewart? Marie Kondo?) rather than any thought toward pleasing God. And while I have no doubt that God prefers industry over indolence, these two verses still get under my skin, even as I continue to be at my own and what I think to be His business.
Now, it may be that I (we?) have had Him in my life for so long that I don’t even notice His presence; we don’t feel the pressure of the air around us, except when the wind blows at its strongest. We may be like fish who don’t realize they’re in water. But I have to confess to not always think about my heart being focused on Him as I go about my life; and if so, am I actually serving Him? I wish I had more definitive answers… but I guess those will have to wait until I join you on the other side.
Until then, though, keep an eye on me, honey, and wish me luck. I’m going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 