Working it Out and Working it In
Dear Faithful Readers,
I have decided to honour God's principle of Sabbath by leaving Whatever He Says fallow one day a week from now on. I believe that as I do that here, He will help me to take it into the rest of my life more faithfully too. So this, and every Saturday post from now on, will be my "weekend post."
Belinda
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My friend Susan: mother of nine and grandmother of ten; wrote to me last weekend to tell me how her day had gone. She wrote about her evening with her little granddaughter:
"I had a challenging evening. This is one conversation I had - (between me an Lizzie)
"I know everything." (Lizzie)
"You do?" (Me)
"Yes, I do."
"You can't possibly know EVERYTHING."
"Yes, I do. I know everything."
"You don't know when I'm going to die."
"Yes, I do."
"You do?"
"Yes, but I'm keeping it a secret."
Now, tell me. How do you reason with THAT?! And she's only five."
Lizzie was hilarious, but her attitude of certainty reminds me of my own self assurance at the start of my journey of faith.
At that time I often subjected my poor dad to what I can only describe as sermonizing, delivered with passionate zeal and disrespectful confidence.
I had a deep faith in, and understanding of, the One who is Truth, but in sharing that, I forgot that I was 16 and Dad was 40. I lacked the humility that listens before speaking.
Confident children grow into teenagers who are more sure of everything than ever, but who start to know less and less the older they grow. In the same way the older I grow, the more I realize how much I need God to teach me. This tends to take my attention off what I think others need to learn, although I still long that others who don't know the story of Jesus might know it and the peace that can be found through knowing him.
I think that may be the meaning of this verse in Philippians:
Philippians 2:12 (New International Version)
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
with this reminder in verse 13 of who is really doing the work:
Philippians 2:13 (New International Version)
13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
The journey once begun, is still a journey, and a disciple will always sit at the feet of his or her Teacher.
Until the journey's end we will be working out our salvation, and working into our lives, the ways and wisdom of another Kingdom.
I have decided to honour God's principle of Sabbath by leaving Whatever He Says fallow one day a week from now on. I believe that as I do that here, He will help me to take it into the rest of my life more faithfully too. So this, and every Saturday post from now on, will be my "weekend post."
Belinda
************
My friend Susan: mother of nine and grandmother of ten; wrote to me last weekend to tell me how her day had gone. She wrote about her evening with her little granddaughter:
"I had a challenging evening. This is one conversation I had - (between me an Lizzie)
"I know everything." (Lizzie)
"You do?" (Me)
"Yes, I do."
"You can't possibly know EVERYTHING."
"Yes, I do. I know everything."
"You don't know when I'm going to die."
"Yes, I do."
"You do?"
"Yes, but I'm keeping it a secret."
Now, tell me. How do you reason with THAT?! And she's only five."
Lizzie was hilarious, but her attitude of certainty reminds me of my own self assurance at the start of my journey of faith.
At that time I often subjected my poor dad to what I can only describe as sermonizing, delivered with passionate zeal and disrespectful confidence.
I had a deep faith in, and understanding of, the One who is Truth, but in sharing that, I forgot that I was 16 and Dad was 40. I lacked the humility that listens before speaking.
Confident children grow into teenagers who are more sure of everything than ever, but who start to know less and less the older they grow. In the same way the older I grow, the more I realize how much I need God to teach me. This tends to take my attention off what I think others need to learn, although I still long that others who don't know the story of Jesus might know it and the peace that can be found through knowing him.
I think that may be the meaning of this verse in Philippians:
Philippians 2:12 (New International Version)
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
with this reminder in verse 13 of who is really doing the work:
Philippians 2:13 (New International Version)
13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
The journey once begun, is still a journey, and a disciple will always sit at the feet of his or her Teacher.
Until the journey's end we will be working out our salvation, and working into our lives, the ways and wisdom of another Kingdom.
Comments
I read a book called "Who Put My Life in Fast Forward?" It was very good and one chapter was "Remember the Sabboth..me neither." We are so busy that we forget that God rested on the 7th day and we should,too. It's not easy but it is satisfying.
Thank you for the encouragement and affirmating the choice. I am compulsive in connecting with people via the internet, but God is calling me to a more peaceful obedience. I'm far from "there" but I'm on my way! :)
Thank you for the encouragement and affirmating the choice. I am compulsive in connecting with people via the internet, but God is calling me to a more peaceful obedience. I'm far from "there" but I'm on my way! :)