Timely Word

"Fight we must, for only those who persevere will be saved (Mark 13:13). And fight we will, because God is at work in us to will and to do his good pleasure (Phillipians 2:13; Hebrews 13:21)."

- John Piper, Taste And See

I am so grateful when God speaks a word that I need to hear right when I need to hear it. There are certainly times in life when I face what seems to be Divine Silence, but then there are precious moments of clarity when my Lord makes his heart known to me and it brings relief like the first breath after being under water. I know in that moment that I'm going to be okay, that I'm not doing this Christianity thing on my own.

The word I've heard from God over the past few days has been one of much needed grace amid the season of lent, which for me often breeds performance anxiety.

Suddenly, my world feels full of do's and don't's. Specifically, "don't eat dessert!" Of course, that is a "don't" I accepted willingly as an act of sacrifice and denial of self, and God has been good to sustain me. But there is generally a lot more spiritual reflection during this season that leads me to question if I'm doing and not doing what I should be doing and not doing.

Spiritual reflection is necessary and good, and I highly recommend that Christians take spiritual inventory on a regular basis, to allow time and space for God through the Holy Spirit to reveal specific areas of our lives that are not surrendered to his purposes.

Yet, it's also true that reflection can ultimately lead to a sense of failure in faith. Let's face it. There's so much that we do that we really shouldn't, and so much more that we could do or should do, yet we don't or won't. If we read Jesus' teachings with an honest heart, we should go weak in the knees! No one stacks up. Not one.

Praise God that when it all comes down, it's not dependent on me to get this Christianity thing right. The simple fact is that I just can't! More than that, I am not supposed to.

Whatever I set out to accomplish in my faith is ultimately a hindrance to it. Either, I will become enamored with the little bit of guilt-driven progress I achieve with hard-nosed determination, or I will become overwhelmed with despair and doubt because I know that the little bit that I attempt isn't nearly enough.

My eyes shift from Christ to myself. I no longer have time for my relationship with him because I'm spending every second patting myself on the back and watching to see if those around me are impressed, or wallowing in pity and shame and grabbing at others in hopes they can pull me out of the mire.

The moment I forget the truth of myself in light of a holy God and the amazing provision of Christ to bring me into right standing with the Father, I step outside of grace. The very grace by which I am saved AND sanctified. The very grace that brings infinite glory to God and continually reminds me that it is all about him, for nothing good can be accomplished apart from him.

In sweet surrender, my faith must be worked out. And yet, the work is not mine, it's God's.

I personally find the sweetest rest in knowing that. So, you may wonder, does all this grace mean we just throw our hands in the air? Or is there anything for a Christian to do? Yes. Humbly cling - this is where spiritual disciplines come in very handy - to the One who can and will work through your surrender to glorify himself and bring you fully sanctified into the everlasting joy of eternity.

I am particularly fond of how Oswald Chambers explains:

"If my holiness is not drawing others to him, it is not the right kind of holiness . . . Others will be left with this thought - 'What a fine person that man is!' That is not being a true 'friend of the bridegroom' - I am increasing all the time; he is not . . . we have to be more careful to have the moral and vital relationship to him above everything else, including obedience . . . most of our life is not spent in trying to be consciously obedient, but in maintaining this relationship."