Tuesday
“To suppose that whatever God requireth of us that we have power of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of Jesus Christ of none effect.”
John Owen
John Owen, one of my favorite Anglicans and Puritans, summarized well the difference between synergism and monergism. To think that we have anything we can add to the finished work of Christ is to nullify the great good news of the Gospel. It is finished. He has done it.
As we discussed on Sunday, God alone acts to bring about His purposes– in His timing, in His ways. We can’t rush Him, or help Him, or do it better than Him. Grace always comes first. God always moves first. Our relationship with God is always one of us responding to Him. That reality is humbling and an affront to our pride and self-sufficiency.
It was a sweet experience to dig into this interaction between Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. I think many of us were touched by how quickly we just ‘run out and get our own Big Gulp.’ Waiting on the Lord is something that develops over a lifetime. I am reminded of my gratitude for a place like Restoration to work this out.
I felt a ton of compassion for those who are trying to practice more prayer, more confession, and more empathy in their marriage. Remember that you are not alone. All of us have places where we are trying to strengthen our marriage– so don’t believe the lie that you are the only one and allow yourself to become isolated. Reach out to your small group leader, a pastor, or get a referral for a professional counselor. We all need ‘on the job training’ and we all want to be life-long learners.
Wacky Wednesdays are Done
Just a quick reminder. I realize that we had planned our final Wacky Wednesday event for tomorrow night (8/31). But we have needed to cancel. So, invite a neighbor to your house for a bbq tomorrow night. Or if you’re a dude, come to Burger Brothers at the Jones on Friday night. We will not be having a Restoration event on Wednesday, Aug 31.
See ya soon.
-David
August 30, 2011 @ 5:41 pm
Interesting thoughts to ponder in light of my recent experience at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. There was definitely a theme of taking action in the teaching this time around. I think what I’m wrestling with is finding the balance between stepping out in faith vs. waiting for a play by play from God. I’m not sure about the rest of you but I don’t often feel like I get the play by play.
For example, a dear friend of mine is contemplating a job transition. It’s clear that God is closing the door on her current job but it’s not clear what”s next. As she’s been pondering this, she’s realized she may want to change careers and go in to some form of healthcare. So, she registered for an Anatomy & Physiology class and is taking a step in that direction to see where it could lead. Is that rushing Him or helping Him? I don’t know but it certainly seems like a good choice in the midst of a situation that’s not yet clear from Him.
It feels a little more cut and dry in the case of Abraham & Sarah or in one of the talks from the Leadership Summit on 2 Kings 3 (particularly v.16-20). In both circumstances God gave clear directions or a clear vision. For the recipients, it was a matter of faith to act (or not act) in accordance with those directions.
When the vision isn’t quite as clear is where it gets a little fuzzier for me. I too have been contemplating a jobchange. I get the feeling God may be brewing something in that area but it isn’t clear. Do I sit and wait until it’s clear (potentially fall in to “analysis paralysis”) or do I try some things that seem like they’re in line with what seems to be the direction?
Interested in others’ thoughts on this one…