I don’t know about you, but I have been learning that if I want to change, grow, and mature as a Christian, a husband, a father, and pastor, I need to be reading. And not just reading anything, I need to be reading good, healthy, positive, God-honoring things. One of the books I am in the habit of reading is My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers. This was the reading for November 30. Now before you ask, I know it is not November. Often in my study of Scripture I end up being led to books who speak to the passages I am studying. It was so good, I have reprinted it here for you in its entirety.
“By the Grace of God I Am What I Am”
“By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain …” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, “Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified; I’m not a saint.” But to say that before God means, “No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible.” That may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.
Conversely, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, “Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified,” is in God’s eyes the purest expression of humility. It means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. Never worry about whether what you say sounds humble before others or not. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all.
There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purposes, and yours may be that life.
That is wonderful counsel. I hope God spoke truth to you through that reading as clearly as He did for me. You can always hear God speaking to you in the Bible. And you can often find great benefit in the wisdom and experience of good Christian men and women who have a passionate delight in God. Reading is one of the most important and effective ways God has provided for us to grow in Him. Make reading a daily habit. Get a copy of a good book like My Utmost for His Highest and start reading. You’ll be glad you did.
The statement you attribute to Charlie Jones is so very true. The old saying about the definition of insanity holds here, i.e. continually doing the same things and expecting different results. How can we expect different results if we continue doing the same things?
ReplyDeleteSo many times I hear people say "Well, God made me this way." They are using that statement as a reason or validation why they are the way they are and *cannot change*.
I am learning that God *does not* want us to stay the same. He wants us to change. The desire for change is a daily choice. There are things about me that that seem to be unchangable yet I am learning that, that is not true because, as I look back over my life I see that I am quite different than I was when I used to say "Well, God made me this way." Not used to, but still do. I have convinced myself the reading issues I have struggled with all through school and my adult life was something that cannot be changed because *God made that way*.
Some place in this house is a copy of "My Utmost for His Highest"
Change is a constant how foolish we humans are to think we can escape that.
omd