H,
There are all sorts of
obstacles in the way of living what we consider a worthy life. Chief among them
is doing it every single day. There are no holidays from sainthood. Any diversions
are unintentional. It is not like you can take the great high of this sort of
being and put it in a bottle. You have to live it out in the trenches of this
low existence. And most of all, you will fail at it.
obstacles in the way of living what we consider a worthy life. Chief among them
is doing it every single day. There are no holidays from sainthood. Any diversions
are unintentional. It is not like you can take the great high of this sort of
being and put it in a bottle. You have to live it out in the trenches of this
low existence. And most of all, you will fail at it.
When we heard the great
story of the seed planted in good soil we always took the stand that we were that
thriving seed that bore much fruit in the end. The truth is we are at some
point all those seeds. Life interrupts and chokes our promise and purpose. Weeds
grow alongside our gifts and calling to love. We need to be pruned habitually. This
is not a low stakes adventure. We are talking of the eternal destination of the
human soul. There are no quick fixes to what has gone wrong.
story of the seed planted in good soil we always took the stand that we were that
thriving seed that bore much fruit in the end. The truth is we are at some
point all those seeds. Life interrupts and chokes our promise and purpose. Weeds
grow alongside our gifts and calling to love. We need to be pruned habitually. This
is not a low stakes adventure. We are talking of the eternal destination of the
human soul. There are no quick fixes to what has gone wrong.
It is faux bravery and folly
to think that any of this is up to us. We cannot battle any darkness without
the light. We cannot break through the thick crust of original and persistent sin
without the never floundering Grace of God. We need to go back to that simple
idea. That we need a saviour has never been in doubt. That we might let them
fix us has always been the curious bone of contention.
to think that any of this is up to us. We cannot battle any darkness without
the light. We cannot break through the thick crust of original and persistent sin
without the never floundering Grace of God. We need to go back to that simple
idea. That we need a saviour has never been in doubt. That we might let them
fix us has always been the curious bone of contention.
We reconnect because we need
to. We become perfect at failing and falling so we can become perfect at rising
from the ashes of our constant defeat. The cracks of human endeavour and human progress
do not reach the high standard of being and love. We are not here to go bigger
but to go deeper. The great thing is not cathedrals or dynasties but kindness
and humility. There is no place for anything other than ordinary love in
eternity. This is the standard by which we falter. We judge when we should be
compassionate, we talk down when we should lift up and we leave behind when we
should go looking for that one lost sheep. We fall short.
to. We become perfect at failing and falling so we can become perfect at rising
from the ashes of our constant defeat. The cracks of human endeavour and human progress
do not reach the high standard of being and love. We are not here to go bigger
but to go deeper. The great thing is not cathedrals or dynasties but kindness
and humility. There is no place for anything other than ordinary love in
eternity. This is the standard by which we falter. We judge when we should be
compassionate, we talk down when we should lift up and we leave behind when we
should go looking for that one lost sheep. We fall short.
The church of God is not a
place for self-help gurus. The church of God will not teach you marketing
skills and political tricks. The church of God is not for networking, getting
ahead and instilling “kingdom principles” in ungodly behemoth corporations. It is
not where we come and be who we think we are. We are here to learn who we truly
are. And reconnect with that.
place for self-help gurus. The church of God will not teach you marketing
skills and political tricks. The church of God is not for networking, getting
ahead and instilling “kingdom principles” in ungodly behemoth corporations. It is
not where we come and be who we think we are. We are here to learn who we truly
are. And reconnect with that.