Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Wise Words

Words from a wise friend:
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"Things will come with time. Despite the world's trying to convince us that instant gratification is the course of all things, that is really not the case. The Scripture reminds us that to the Lord a day is as a thousand years.

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this." Psalm
37:5

I used to think that verse had everything to do with me - you know, the
committing and trusting part - and I strove really hard to do just that.
The only thing was, in making it about me, I confused the "do" in this
verse. I thought it was all about me doing. So, you know what happened
- I missed the good part about His doing. The verse reads, "He will do
this." And the verses that follow verse 5 read as follows: "He will
make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause
like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for
him." It is really pretty clear, isn't it? God is the doer - "He will
do" - "He will make." As I think about those verses these days, my
committing and trusting revolves more around what He is already doing,
not what I think I should do. So, I try to see, "What is God doing that
I can commit to and trust in?" What is He already doing around me of
which I simply need to be aware, or pray to understand, not to change,
AND TO WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM."
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A few days later, my pastor made the following points in his sermon:
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Christ gives us freedom from the sin of self-centeredness, the addiction of immediacy, and the tyranny of our senses. We are given freedom to cultivate Christ-centered relationships, character, and discipleship. Sometimes the Lord teaches us and calls us to wait. But He is never content where we are; the Christian life is about growth and adventure.
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I *know* all these things in my head, but sometimes life makes it hard to remember them. That's why God surrounds us with Christian examples and encouragers to challenge us and keep us walking with Christ.

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