grace

Stumbling Along

Recognize

Everyone who comes to know Jesus stumbles because of him. He fails to meet our wrong expectations. He calls us to do impossible things or to become something we think we could never become. This is his way of teaching us how much we need Him. He breaks us to pieces so that he can put us back together in His image. -Michael Card

Renew

The rule is this: Christians are people who remember their own weaknesses and failure. They are under reconstruction. So they offer hope and forgiveness to people who fall and who need Jesus’ healing grace and hope. -Donald M. Joy

Revive

1 Corinthians 1:20-31
2 Corinthians 4:1-12

Commentary

1 Corinthians 1:20-31 – I found this passage oddly confusing, but the last part gelled it together: “…For this world in its present form is passing away.” It’s all temporary. To remember the way we were when Jesus calls us is important because that status (no matter how terrible or difficult it may have been) holds a key to the hope of our future: For all that we have, reflect as if we do not have it. For all that we lack, think not of our deprivation. Whatever status we are in is only temporary in the grander picture of eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:1-12 – A nice passage about how our own resurrection is through our dependency and our tie to Jesus Christ. We are in need of Jesus’ saving grace and hope. We are totally and completely dependent on Him for salvation.

Where Does Prayer Fit In?

We’ve been reflecting on prayer a lot lately in this blog, and I thought it to be an apt point to ponder. Why so much emphasis on prayer? Why do we pray? Doesen’t God know what we need before we even realize it enough to ask for it? The answer lies in the principles of humility. Until we are able to approach God, broken and helpless, we are simply deluding ourselves. Our everyday needs, our worries and our problems should all be given over to the hands of the Lord – everything is provided for by God and it is point to humble ourselves enough to realize that.

When we settle down each evening at the dinner table for our meal, do we dive in and eat hungrily, self assured that our hard labor has earned us our nourishment? And how do you suppose you got your job? What is the nature of your employment and the daily factors affecting it? It is too often that we allow the “ego” to rule our minds and our hearts. “I” worked hard. “I” earned my salary. “I” bought this food… the truth is, YOU didn’t do anything by yourself. It is the Lord that has provided for you; a point of humility… and thankfulness is the reason why prayer is appropriate at mealtime.

A recent blog article I read regarding the power of prayer raised an observation I think is common amongst many of us. The writer talked about how he realized that while trying to help a friend in trouble he ran through his mind all the things he could do to help… and only when he had no alternative left, he offered a prayer as the last resort. If prayer is so important, he argues, why did he save it for last? The answer to that is the mindset. Again, the “ego” comes into play – we may think that we are the “masters” of our destinies or at least the one in control for the many problems we encounter in our life… but that really isn’t the case. God is still behind the scenes running the show.

If I were in a similar situation, I would consider praying first. Ask God with humility for guidance and ask Him: “What would you have me do, Lord? Please help me help others… and when I cannot find the answer, please guide me to what is your will…” It is different when we look to God for guidance in the things that we do. In the action, we surrender ourselves and our needs to the hands of one who knows infinitely more about our destinies and what is best for our well being.

On the other hand, there is a difference between asking for help, then sitting back and doing nothing. With prayer there is also action. But it helps to put our minds in a prayerful state, humble and helpless, surrendering ourselves with the knowledge that it isn’t our individual efforts (as our big ego would like us to believe) that drives our destinies… but the providence and grace of God at work in our lives.