The quote I posted yesterday by Kevin DeYoung hit me like a ton of bricks. Even with a greater awareness of the gospel, I still fall back into legalism so easily. There's still a "I need to get it right before I can [fill in the blank]".
We're almost finished the women's hermeneutics class. It's been very, very helpful, and it's raised my awareness of the importance of interpreting the Word correctly. Unfortunately, the "I need to get it right" is raising it's ugly head again. To quote my astute daughter who nailed it on the head, "You're afraid to presume, so you're afraid to trust His promises."
As much as I hate the prosperity gospel, there's an outcome-based view of God that still lurks deep in my heart. Pray right and God will answer my prayers. Read the Word and believe His promises correctly, and then good will happen. Now there's nothing wrong with praying open and honestly about the burdens on my heart. There's nothing wrong with reading the Word for comfort and solace. But those things aren't means by which I get what I want from God. There's something more important. It is knowing the One to whom I am praying. It is knowing the One who reveals Himself through His Word. And in knowing God, my faith grows because of His character, not because He did what I asked Him to do. It becomes less about me and more about Him.
Oh how much I still have to learn.
We're almost finished the women's hermeneutics class. It's been very, very helpful, and it's raised my awareness of the importance of interpreting the Word correctly. Unfortunately, the "I need to get it right" is raising it's ugly head again. To quote my astute daughter who nailed it on the head, "You're afraid to presume, so you're afraid to trust His promises."
As much as I hate the prosperity gospel, there's an outcome-based view of God that still lurks deep in my heart. Pray right and God will answer my prayers. Read the Word and believe His promises correctly, and then good will happen. Now there's nothing wrong with praying open and honestly about the burdens on my heart. There's nothing wrong with reading the Word for comfort and solace. But those things aren't means by which I get what I want from God. There's something more important. It is knowing the One to whom I am praying. It is knowing the One who reveals Himself through His Word. And in knowing God, my faith grows because of His character, not because He did what I asked Him to do. It becomes less about me and more about Him.
Oh how much I still have to learn.
Persis, a balm to my thoughts this morning....thank you sister.
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