Thoughts Along The Journey

Several of you shared the struggle that can easily arise as we let ministry become an ‘end all’ in our lives.  What do we do, though, when we become aware that we have “inflated something to function as a substitute for God”?  When something other than Jesus Christ has become our ‘savior’?

We should “turn and rush”. “For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

We should “turn”, that is, we should acknowledge our sin, own it and turn from it.  We call this repentance.  We should also “rush” back into the arms of Jesus, the One who saved us from the mess of sin.  We call this faith.   

Sounds straightforward in some respects, but we are all susceptible to the wiles of the evil one and our own sinful tendency towards excuses that keep us from acknowledging the depth of our sin and our great need of His love and forgiveness.  One writer has written: “Satan’s main temptation is to convince us that we are half the sinner we actually are and that we have half of Christ’s acceptance as we actually do.”  [Charles Spurgeon has a wonderful message which describes this response of turning from idols and rushing into His arms: http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/2236.htm]

This is why the community around us is so important.  We need others who can help us to ask those hard questions that dig deep to search out the roots of sin and idolatry in our lives.  We need others to remind us again and again and again of His unfailing love, forgiveness and righteousness.  This is the kind of community we should be building and nurturing around us.

Filed under: Assessment, Gospel |