Gospel Perspective
This weekend I’ve been thinking alot about my perspective of ministry and growth. Our church had their annual meeting at which the goals and plans are reviewed from last year and discussed for the upcoming year. I find that it is easy to switch the focus from God to man, from Scripture’s commands to what we feel we need. There is a growing temptation in the church to change the message of the Gospel to be about self-fulfillment rather than self-denial and to change the goals in the church to be more about experience rather than Truth. Yesterday I was profoundly stirred reading a prayer of a saint, written centuries ago:
“Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to posess everything,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive.
let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to posess everything,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive.
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley,
thy life in my death.”
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley,
thy life in my death.”
I pray that this will be my perspective: such an exalting view of God and a surrendering of me. It seems that when I can get the two swapped and become all about me, my pleasure, my happiness and then I wonder why God isn’t on board with my plans. Truly the message of the Gospel is self abandon to follow Christ (Matthew 16:24-25). To those who live this perspective, God’s grace flows abundantly, His friendship is intimate and His truth is freeing.
Take my heart, and form it
Take my will conform it
Take my mind transform it
To Yours, to Yours, O Lord
Posted by blakeyblog |
September 27th, 2005
Thanks for the thought-provoking post. We can so easily deceive ourselves into thinking we are following the Lord’s way, when it’s really our own way.
September 27th, 2005
Ahh, I know this one….
I love that line about learning by paradox.