Self Improvement 101
Recently, I have seen several self-help Christian books and messages; most, if not all, missed the Gospel. Where has American Christians gone? We have gone to the world's message that we are powerful enough to solve our own problems and addictions. Think about the Old Testament story of the Tower of Babel. Is this where we have come?
Read the parable of two builders (Matthew 7:24-27). Think about your life--have you listened and allowed Jesus to work through you or have you continued to hold on to your own power? I struggled with sin for so long because I wanted to rid myself from it--isn't that what our preachers preach, "Save yourself"? Wow, a statement of self-worth and self-reformation that has no truth in Jesus's thoughts.
Read and reflect Matthew 12:43-45. Wrestle with that parable. If I, on my own power correct a sin, that spirit of sin will return with seven of his worse buddies. At the end, I am worse off because I relied on my power, not the power of God.
Pray through this and respond.
was
Read the parable of two builders (Matthew 7:24-27). Think about your life--have you listened and allowed Jesus to work through you or have you continued to hold on to your own power? I struggled with sin for so long because I wanted to rid myself from it--isn't that what our preachers preach, "Save yourself"? Wow, a statement of self-worth and self-reformation that has no truth in Jesus's thoughts.
Read and reflect Matthew 12:43-45. Wrestle with that parable. If I, on my own power correct a sin, that spirit of sin will return with seven of his worse buddies. At the end, I am worse off because I relied on my power, not the power of God.
Pray through this and respond.
was
posted by Was at
11:24 AM
1 Comments:
Good thoughts Was ... although Jacob I can tell you why we dont just print Phil 4:13 and try to live by it ... we have no idea what it means .. we would love to get our hands around a formula and not some relationship that to most people is invisible or ethereal at best ... we have no concept of contentment which is the context in which Paul makes this claim ... notice this also (and I'm not saything that this is true but its a thought) Paul said that "I (Paul) can do .." He did not choose to say "We (believers) can do..." It's an odd thought at best but I think that Paul was at a deeper level in his faith than most of us will ever realize and just read verse 12 to discover this truth. We don't suffer for God, die for God, "bear the marks of Christ" as Paul did.
Maybe instead of tring to fix our lives we should take the brokenness as a chance to reflect and see what we truly are in the presence of a holy God. We do not fear Him; rather, like the thousands that ran to Him to be healed we would rather "use" Christ and then continue in our sin not choosing to acknowledge that we are "storing up wrath for ourselves."
Anyone who has a chance, please read Holiness by Henry Blackaby. It is short (105 pgs) and powerful. It has changed my life.
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