Actions are born out of desires or longings. As I desire to be more like Jesus, I will ask God to make me more like Jesus. This transformation will happen, not by willpower, but by remembering that Christ lives in me and the power of the Holy Spirit will enable me to cooperate with the grace of God.
Scripture:
Galatians 2:19-21 (The Message)
What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.
Reflection:
• Using this quote from Thomas Merton, try to answer, for yourself, what he is asking.
If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair. But ask me what I am living for, in detail and ask me “What I think is keeping me from living fully for the thing I want to live for?”
Practice:
• Take some time asking in the presence of God. What will I want people to say about me or remember about me? Using your imagination, write a few sentences describing how people reacted and responded to you today or how they did so yesterday. Describe how you lived and loved as Jesus in all your different roles. Pray that this vision will become a reality in your life today.
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1 comment:
This was a very humbling practice for me... To sit and think about what I want people to remember about me after I'm gone makes me realize that I wish I was better at this life. The things I want them to remember may not be what they actually will. I guess that gives me a goal to work toward; to work on becoming the person that I know God has created me to be. I think that envisioning this person will help me reach toward becoming her.
I feel like I get so busy with life and all it throws at me that I forget to stop and take a step back and look at myself. If we never look at how we are living our lives as Christians, really honestly look, then how will we know what we need to improve on? It's like with addictions...the first step is admitting you have a problem.
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