"It is a willing heart that causes us to seek the grace that has been promised. When we turn from our own way & recognize our inability to live his way, we begin to seek the full range of resources that he has promised us in his Son. Grace is for the willing and we only become willing when we confess not only the gravity of our sin, but our inability to deliver ourselves from it. Then our willingness opens to us all the sustenance of heart that can only be found in the Son." -Tripp (24)
It seems to me that the sooner I realize my inability to please God or perform to His standards, the sooner I am to literally & figuratively fall on my knees & say "Lord, I am a sinner, I need You." May God deliver us from the lies of autonomy & self-sufficiency (as mentioned by Tripp). I would hate to come to the end of each day with the realization that I spent my most valuable resources in the service of Ben's kingdom rather than our Lord's kingdom.
Be challenged my friends.
Wow! That is truly the most convicting thing I have heard or read all week long. I need to take some time to let that one soak in.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't till recently that I realized that there was nothing I could do to please God, except to accept that simple fact. I must rely totally on Him to teach me how to deal with His grace, and learn to start looking beyond myself and see the beauty of Him who has died for me.
Thanks Ben for this post. It was a great reminder that I am to live for His glory and not my own.