A few years back when I was still working for Resources
for the Blind in the Philippines, when I was getting the hang of writing
devotionals for our magazine, God taught me a very, very important lesson.
I wrote about the "mind" being sort of a
battlefield. Satan would insert a negative thought in my head and "I"
have to win that battle by thinking godly thoughts etc. etc. When my boss read
it, i received a gentle, fatherly rebuke: Just be careful that you're not
working apart from God's grace (paraphrasing).
It was like a wake up call, a call to re-evaluate my
faith. Was that what I was doing? Working apart from the grace of God?
It made me think of a habitual sin that I'd been in
bondage to for years. As a young Christian, I had been battling with this sin
for years and years - repenting and struggling, trying to do better so that I
could "please God." And all the time, I'd stumble on that same spot,
over and over, which only led to depression.
But then I've known grace. What God wanted all along was
for me to recognize this sin and surrender it to Him. And He would defeat it
for me. He who regenerates the hearts of those who belong to Him, has given me
a new heart that loves what He loves, and hates what He hates. He gave me a new
response to sin. When I fight against sin and temptation, it is Him who works
in me, thus making me victorious (Philippians 2:13 "For GOD is working in
you, giving you the DESIRE and the POWER to do what pleases Him.").
All glory to God!
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