Oh that's easy, just do this, this, this and this...

I am a firm believer that God has given us everything we need to live a life that is full and free in the Bible. Now, the application of the Scripture to a particular situation can be excruciatingly difficult. Compounding the issues are my doubts, fears, feelings, prejudices, etc. all swirling around in my head that cloud my judgment, lead me down paths of intolerance, and even diminish my desire to even want to dig through the Word to look for the command or principle that will apply to a situation that I am in. It is all so easy on paper but gets so muddy because, well, I am frail.

And I know that I am weak. And I do not afford others that same perspective when I ask them to do something that is hard. I just assume that they want to. I just assume that all of their doubts, fears...all of it can be thrown to the wind so easily and that they will more than willingly subject themselves to the truth of the Bible and live a life that God wants them to live. Even in my orientation toward mercy and grace I find myself in judgment of others as they creep toward Christlikeness as if I am in a full sprint toward holiness. I need more patience.

It is not as easy as it should have been nor is it as easy as the checklist I think it is, but I can't wallow in that. I just need to not fake it and pretend that I have cornered the market on spiritual maturity.

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