Impossibility Versus Accomplishment

“Are you so foolish?”   Paul, after being a pastor for several years expresses that frustration.  However, even though the New Testament is a plain and clear testimony that Christianity is all about Christ, and not about us...we go and make it about us way too much.

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? . . . Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.” –Galatians 3:3, 11

Many aspects of the believer's life have been made out to be nearly impossible to accomplish. We are given reams of material on how to be a good parent, partner, and child of God. There seems to be so much information that we must know. How can we take it all in? How can we always do the right thing? And those who present to us the much needed information seem so much more spiritual than we are; they have done the right things all along, and they even have degrees in how to be successful. 

However, Scripture does not indicate that being a brother or sister in Christ, a parent, or a mate is all that difficult.   In fact, there is very little in Scripture concerning what to do, but much about basic attitudes to have.“  And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against any one; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” (Colossians 3:12, 13). The Christian life is as simple as loving our wives, respecting our husbands, forgiving our enemies, not provoking our children, obeying parents, and working as unto the Lord. This is our long-term plan. In keeping it day by day we will see ups and downs, reversals, and the inevitable Christian hiccups, but we should never, never allow those daily things to sidetrack us from our long-term plan, which will reap its own reward in the fullness of time.

Often in our quest for immediate relief we see in others (and they see in us) things to change to bring instant comfort. Therefore, we set out to covertly or overtly change those around us through more control and more role-playing of God. Let me point out that if God believed a change in another person's behavior were as important as we believe it to be, He would already have changed it! A change in the behavior of Job’s friends would not have lessened his plight one bit. It was Job’s trust in God and the long-term result of faith that kept him. The whole test was calculated to clean up Job, not to change others. Others actually played very little into the scenario. God's role was primary, Job's secondary, and others' somewhere far behind.

Is that an incredible truth, or what…”there is very little in Scripture about what to do, but much about basic attitudes to have.”

Chosen of God, holy (God says so), accepted in the beloved, living in the Spirit…life is all taken care of by our Lord.  Do we believe that”  “God’s role was primary, Job’s (ours) secondary, and others’ somewhere far behind.”  Well, amen!

I can let Him accomplish what only He can accomplish, and I can just relax and live by His faith.