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The first installment of this current series identified some deep fears that may plague some of the brethren. Fears that often go unshared openly among us, or I think it highly plausible, even remain unidentified in the heart of a person. Do I, deep within my soul, hold a fear of not having lived life, of having been deprived somehow? Am I motivated in anyway by a deep-seated doubt that I'm actually not redeemed? Maybe, but I don't think so.
Can any of us who claim Christ perhaps not recognize a thought or feeling consciously experienced as the evidence such fear is there?
The second piece was intended to express failings which are obvious to me and sometimes others in my character, the everyday self with whom others and myself live. In Part 2, I attempted to articulate an honest appraisal of that which is identifiable and clearly not of God in my life.
This raises two sets of questions:
1. Are there within us as believers very human feelings of fear that are actually driving our thinking processes, our perceptions, and within which are rooted our reactions to circumstances and toward other people? I ponder, that if such fear is there, ought we be able somehow to bring it under the Lordship of Christ, and thereby from such fear gain freedom in the truth of Jesus?
2. How do we move our character as a human from where it is toward a richer experience of maturity in the Spirit of Christ, which is clearly a state of obedience, trust and resulting holy behavior? Is this something God alone sovereignly does, or do we bear some responsiblity here?
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts, as I traverse this path in the Wild Wood.
2 comments:
I'm tempted to say yes, we need to bring our fears under the Lordship of Jesus, but I'm not sure what that really means or how one would do it. John tells us that love casts out fear. I can think this through a little further if I think in terms of bringing my fears into the sphere of Jesus' love. That is, among other things, a way of seeing. Perhaps there are some hints here too about responsibility.
This is part of why "sanctification"--becoming the kind of person Jesus wants to be--(I prefer that expression to "more Christlike") is a process, not an event. A pastor I knew liked to describe himself as "a practicing Christian--I need a lot of practice". And I would add that some things, for us humans REALLY take a lot of practice.
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