" O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. " Psalm 131:1-2Do you sometimes find yourself overwhelmed? Not just with busyness, but by the world today. Television, for instance. It brings SO much information into your living room. About everything. More than you need to know. But then, how do you decided what you need or don't need to pay attention to? From the latest discoveries in the world of medicine, to the current natural disasters, to the realities of war in far off places. So much to consider.
A hundred years ago, people dealt with only a fraction of the details and decisions that we are faced with today. Even grocery shopping is a mundane chore made into a complicated mission to pick the right products from toothpaste (whitening, for sensetive teeth, cavity fighting, breath freshening) to yogurt (pro biotic, low fat, anti oxidant, sugar free), and trying to get the best price on top of it all. Nothing wearies me like shopping! Oh how I long for the simple life!
I used to struggle quite a bit with the "things of the Lord". That is, concerning doctrine. Which denomination was right? Which interpretation of scripture was the most precise? Should I be pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib? Dispensationalist, Covenant or New Covenant? Calvinist or Arminian? These things weighed me down, and I was desperate to be in the right "camp". And if I thought I was, I was desperate to convince anyone who disagreed. But not any more. I know what I believe about the "essentials" of the faith, and I trust God to bring other truth to me as He sees fit. Instead of focusing on "being right", I am more likely to simply focus on Jesus, and be content to learn whatever the Holy Spirit brings to my attention. It's a beautiful thing, this kind of rest.
I think the verse above says it all. What a priviledge we have to be in Christ, to have any enlightenment at all! Not that we shouldn't be always learning, but if we make knowing doctrine more important than a living, personal relationship with it's Author, we will be the poorer for it, no matter how "right" we think we are.
Thank you Father for teaching your children. Thank you that there are no exams to pass, or need to prove anything to anyone. Thank you that we can be confident that you will give us all the revelation that we need, when we need it. Help us to be patient with others, and with ourselves, as we grow in grace and knowledge of you.
4 comments:
Thank you for sharing another beautiful post!!!
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God Bless everyone!!!
Lon
The longer I live the more I doubt that we understand the gospel as clearly as we think we do. Our problems are not fundamentally personal (If only we were nicer people, it would all get better). Our problems are rooted in bad theology. We live in a mental universe of crime and punishment where everything makes sense and blaming is the obvious thing to do, not the real universe of grace and glory where Christ so forgives us as to free us from our compulsive finger-pointing. If our theology brought into clearer focus the grace of Christ, with its emotional and social implications, it would transform our relationships with one another. Galatians 2:11-21
Anon, you are right. Grace is transforming, when we experience it, not as theological dogma, but as the completely unconditional gift it is. That, then, allows us to be grace givers ourselves. Centuries of religion and tradition have turned our attention away from God and toward self; how joyful, free and content were those first believers! Let our intention be to live as ones who have been "lavished" with His grace in the Beloved! Eph. 1:8
Jesus says his yoke is easy. We make it so complicated. Thanks for the reminder...and what a sweetie your wee babie is!
Michele
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