"...a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ." - Oswald Chambers
Our natural bent is to lean toward rules and doctrine and belief systems and away from the Person of Christ. It’s as if we are saying, “Thanks, Lord, for saving me and giving me eternal life, but I can take it from here.”
What a mess we make – worship wars, looking for the best Sunday school curriculum, recruiting people who don’t always have a deep walk with God, trying to build a sense of “community” with programs or service changes. Why do we look to human methods and thinking to solve our church problems? We are trying so hard to produce our own fruit. No fruit? Well, don’t throw the vine out! Better make sure you’re still attached to the vine, because it’s the vine that produces the fruit – not us. In our Type A culture, we can’t imagine that being still, praying, and pursuing our relationship with Jesus Christ will ever accomplish anything. What fun is that? We couldn’t claim any of the praise for it. Lord, have mercy upon us! We are such dumb animals. Remind us today of our spiritual limitations and the need to know you more. You don’t ask a lot of us – just obedience, trust and a willingness to follow. These, however, strike at the heart of our egos. Am I willing to set aside my own agenda in order to follow yours? With mine, there are no surprises. With yours, I must be open to anything. Almighty God, make me willing and ready. Shepherd, help me to hear your voice. Counselor, may I hear your soft whispers. Amen.
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