The Zondervan publishing people sent the following article which struck a major chord with me in its talk about the ongoing battle with the sin nature that is oh so persistent in my life. I detest and despise it and seek to overcome it yet find myself doing that which I do not want to do and that which is displeasing to God and unhelpful to others.
“I would like to think that I am basically okay, that I am not a person in need of major help. I would like to think that I am one of the good guys, that I am basically righteous. Okay, I'm not perfect. Maybe I do need some minor tweaking, but that's all. But the truth is, I am not okay. I have a deep and abiding sin problem that I have no ability whatsoever to solve. I give empirical evidence every day that this dark thing lives inside me. Maybe I show it as a moment of irritation or selfishness ... unkind words or a vengeful action. Maybe it's shown in an unwillingness to serve or a refusal to give ... in impatience with other people or anger at my circumstances. Perhaps it's revealed in demanding to be right or in control. Somehow every day I prove I am a person in need of help - and so do you. God is working and will continue to work to solve our biggest problem and to meet our biggest need. And he will be faithful to his agenda until forever is our final home...
And how does God transform us? Well, he has chosen to keep us for a while in this terribly broken world, where he patiently uses surprise, hardship, disappointment, and trial to prepare us for the perfection that is to come... God doesn't allow us to be exposed to and personally experience these things because he doesn't care for us, but precisely because he does. With patient grace, he employs the hardships of life in this fallen world as his tools of redemption. He knows how self-righteous and self-reliant we can be ... how strong our trust is in our own wisdom and strength. He knows we think we're okay and the other guy is in need of redemption. So he leads us into situations that take us way beyond the limits of our own strength and wisdom ... to expose our weaknesses of character, wisdom, desire, thought, word, and action. And he does all of this so that we will admit our need, cry out for his help, and receive his transforming grace...
May forever give all of us eyes to see and hearts to understand. May we look at difficulty and see God's grace. When we are asked to wait, may we remember that we are being blessed with God's patient love. When our plan fails, may we remember that we are being graced with a much better plan. And when our suffering seems too much to bear, may we remember that a day is coming when we will look back and think that our sufferings were small in comparison to the glories that are ours to enjoy forever.”
Paul writes in Romans 8 (my favorite Bible passage selection for this week in worship) verse 18; “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” And he goes on to say in verse 26 that “Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness” and “prays for us in accord with God’s will.” With the Psalmist I say, “I lift up my eyes to the heavens from where my help must come” if I am to be whole.
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