Thursday, April 26, 2018

Do It Yourself?

Bringing into captivity every thought
   to the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5

In our Lord's life every project was disciplined to the 
will of the Father. There was not a movement of an 
impulse of His own will as distinct from His Father's--
"The Son can do nothing of Himself."
Then take ourselves--a vivid religious experience, 
and every project born of impulse put into action 
immediately, instead of being imprisoned and disci-
plined to obey Christ. 

This is a day when practical work is overemphasized, 
and the saints who are binging every project into cap-
tivity are criticized and told they are not in earnest for 
God or for souls. True earnestness is found in obeying 
God, not in the inclination to serve Him that is born 
of undisciplined human nature. It is inconceivable, 
but true nevertheless, that saints are not bringing e-
very project into captivity, but are doing for God at the 
instigation of their own human nature which has not 
been spiritualized by determined discipline. 

We are apt to forget that a man is not only committed 
to Jesus Christ for salvation; he is committed to Jesus 
Christ's view of God, of the world, of sin, and of the 
devil, and that will mean that he must recognize the 
responsibility of being transformed by the renewing 
of his mind.  Oswald Chambers

Reader, as I typed this, I was thinking about the
'projects' I have undertaken:

"What are my motives? Is God still in this or am I
using this for myself? Why did I decide to do this?
Was He the initiator?"

Chambers reminded me that one reason I need to stay
in scripture with the purpose of a renewed mind, is so
that I can know God's will. If I stop and pay attention
I realize that my days are made up mostly of the little
things--like cleaning toilets--, rather than the things
that are recognized as 'spiritual.' I ask you, "Do you
sometimes look with jealousy at another's giftings,
gifts and callings that are not yours?" I have fought
this battle! I believe scripture teaches that we will be
rewarded according to our obedience, not according
to what we think we have achieved, or should be achie-
ving. Besides, God keeps much of that a secret.





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