Oswald's message is like a balm to the worn out legalist who feels they must strive and strive to be worthy of grace. He states; "When God gives you a clear determination of His will for you, all your striving to maintain that relationship by some particular method is completely unnecessary."
Ponder this reality. Are your hands open, palms down with fingers spread or are they clenched in tight fists holding on for dear life to Jesus? Maintaining a relationship with the Lord is not about performance or hanging on. It is about choices.
Our efforts to pray, read God's word, serve at church, turn the other cheek and so forth, can subtly turn into our confidence in Christ. In other words, we can begin to believe that these are the things that must be done to remain in fellowship with the Lord. I must pray these prayers in this way. I must read this much of God's word each day, etc. The problem with this way of thinking is that it suggests your method(s) of reaching out to God are necessary to remain in fellowship with God. If we are not careful this way of thinking can turn into a stronghold of legalism.
The Bible says, "If the son has set you free, you are free indeed." Freedom is not found in obligation. Jesus doesn't want us to worship him in some type of formula. He wants us to be free to express our love for Him in all kinds of ways that are glorifying to Him: showing kindness to a stranger, forgiving an offense, teaching your children to seek the Lord, praying, or expressing thankfulness.
When we consider that love is an expression of choice, we realize then our choices are how we convey love. The very fact that God gave man the ability to choose his own way, reveals his great love for us. We express our love or lack of love for God, by how we choose to live. Jesus said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching,"(John 14:23NIV). Therefore, when we choose to obey God's word we are expressing our love for Him. When we make the choice to disobey or rebel against God's word, we are expressing a lack of love for Him.
When I was young, we had a long list of daily chores that we were expected to accomplish each day. White glove inspection could happen at any time. I remember the effort I put forth on a regular basis, hoping to live up to expectations that I might keep in good standing with my mom and step-father. My diligence to keep my room in order and the house picked up, was my feeble attempt to have a peaceful relationship with my parents. For when I failed to measure up to their standards, I was not only punished but cast aside until deemed worthy again. As a result, I learned my performance determined the level of intimacy I would have with others. However, performance became more about peace and value than expressing love.
Granting myself permission to just "be" with the Lord and not meet a list of requirements does not come easy. I struggle when I find a day has ended and I did not do ____ for the Lord. However, I am getting better at resting in my redemption. Remembering the Lord desires to be in relationship with me more than anything else, helps. When I choose to seek God during my day, I am expressing love for Him. Choices I make beyond spending time with the Lord will determine how much I love him. The point is, I am learning that just because I didn't do ____ does not mean I have lost my intimacy with the Lord. In fact, moments when I am still in His presence may be a greater expression of love than action.
Oswald encourages the followers of Christ to walk naturally: "All that is required is to live a natural life of absolute dependence on Jesus Christ. Never try to live your life with God in any other way than His way. And His way means absolute devotion to him. Showing no concern for the uncertainties that lie ahead is the secret of walking with Jesus."
Trusting your relationship with God is secure in Christ, will relax the believers walk. The result will be a myriad of choices that express your love and devotion to Jesus, as well authentic rest for a world weary soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment