TXPalerider
03-20-2006, 11:12 AM
Kind of ironic, in light of my questions on the thread"Article: Who Sets Your Agenda?" (http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=56582), that this is the Daily Devotional from The Purpose Driven Life today. This may be a beginning to the answer to my questions. I've taken the liberty of highlighting what I believe is the key message set forth. And it's kind of scary.
Johnny on the Spot
by John Fischer
“It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:5)
I think every Christian struggles at one time or another with this truth. Spiritual growth is a constant struggle between what we do for God versus what we do in God. The struggle is sometimes hard to see because it is not a struggle between good and evil as much as it is a struggle between the good and the best.
The good is always an enemy of the best because the good is so good. It looks good; it has the feel of good, but it is ultimately useless because it is not the best. It is success produced exclusively by human beings and human services. The good is what we do for God by ourselves -- what we do relying on our own resources and our own ingenuity. We may even make it sound good because we are doing it for God, but unless it is of God and from God, it will not be ultimately successful.
All great Christian endeavors fall into this trap at some time. We want to control the outcome. I can guarantee that as soon as we here at Purpose Driven feel we can get our arms around this endeavor, that will be the end of it. You can’t experience the power of God without risking something of yourself in the process.
How do you know when you are working for God? You get tired, you burn out, or the opposite -- you become very successful and start taking pride in your success. You begin repeating what works over and over again, because you found a formula that will work regardless. This is what the Bible calls: “walking in the flesh,” and in spite of how good it looks, it will burn up in the end like a big pile of dry wood.
So how do you know if you are dealing in the success of God’s power? You are at risk; you are Johnny on the spot; you are way over your head; you are not completely sure what you are doing; you are acutely aware of your own weaknesses; you have ventured into a place where, if God doesn’t show up, you are a dead duck. Believe it or not, this is what the Bible calls: “walking in the Spirit.” (Don’t you love it?)
Welcome to the adventure. It’s kind of fun, actually. Once you jump in and believe in someone other than yourself and what you can control, you discover a whole new resource.
Johnny on the Spot
by John Fischer
“It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:5)
I think every Christian struggles at one time or another with this truth. Spiritual growth is a constant struggle between what we do for God versus what we do in God. The struggle is sometimes hard to see because it is not a struggle between good and evil as much as it is a struggle between the good and the best.
The good is always an enemy of the best because the good is so good. It looks good; it has the feel of good, but it is ultimately useless because it is not the best. It is success produced exclusively by human beings and human services. The good is what we do for God by ourselves -- what we do relying on our own resources and our own ingenuity. We may even make it sound good because we are doing it for God, but unless it is of God and from God, it will not be ultimately successful.
All great Christian endeavors fall into this trap at some time. We want to control the outcome. I can guarantee that as soon as we here at Purpose Driven feel we can get our arms around this endeavor, that will be the end of it. You can’t experience the power of God without risking something of yourself in the process.
How do you know when you are working for God? You get tired, you burn out, or the opposite -- you become very successful and start taking pride in your success. You begin repeating what works over and over again, because you found a formula that will work regardless. This is what the Bible calls: “walking in the flesh,” and in spite of how good it looks, it will burn up in the end like a big pile of dry wood.
So how do you know if you are dealing in the success of God’s power? You are at risk; you are Johnny on the spot; you are way over your head; you are not completely sure what you are doing; you are acutely aware of your own weaknesses; you have ventured into a place where, if God doesn’t show up, you are a dead duck. Believe it or not, this is what the Bible calls: “walking in the Spirit.” (Don’t you love it?)
Welcome to the adventure. It’s kind of fun, actually. Once you jump in and believe in someone other than yourself and what you can control, you discover a whole new resource.