10-28-19<\/p>\n
The most effort that Christians spend in their \u201cwalks\u201d of following Him, I sometimes think, is not time in the Word or in prayer or doing as He would have us do in our interactions. Virtually impossible to compute, but I sometimes wonder if we spend more time making excuses to God, than any other activity.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t mean, \u201cLord, You know I really didn\u2019t mean to kill that man.\u201d Or the old \u201ccomedy\u201d line, \u201cThe devil made me do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
No, my thought is that there are countless ways that we hope or think that God understands<\/em> us, and will let something slip by\u2026 even a minor sin. (See? Even that thought is what I mean, if we start believing it. There is no such things as a minor sin.)<\/p>\n \u2013 that He will understand the pressure we are under, and forgive us of something before we are even contrite. (That leads to assuming less and less that we need forgiveness.)<\/p>\n \u2013 that our faithfulness, our good works, the crosses we bear, will in some spiritually cosmic way earn us a Get Out of Jail Free card.<\/p>\n \u2013 that God knows<\/em> our heart, in the big picture; and surely He cannot hold us to the same measures applied to unsaved people\u2026<\/p>\n Surely? When you think about it \u2013 and this reflection can be a healthy thing for our souls \u2013 if we do not verbalize such thoughts, many Christians internalize the assumptions. Almost to the extent that our spiritual DNA is mutated. Not a good thing.<\/p>\n What is<\/em> a good thing is that we do not have to correct these tendencies on our own. If the critique sounds familiar, ask your self one more<\/em> question:<\/p>\n Why do you think God sent the Holy Spirit?<\/em><\/p>\n Jesus actually said that it was good that He \u201cgo,\u201d because One would come who would enable, guide, strengthen us. The Holy Ghost. I also sometimes think the least employed member of the Godhead, the least known of God\u2019s ever-present resources.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t have to be \u201cbetter,\u201d or more mindful of God\u2019s commands and Jesus\u2019s example, on our own. There is no shame in calling on the Holy Spirit\u2019s help. He pleads for you to reach out.<\/p>\n It is not a sign of weakness in a Christian to seek the Spirit\u2019s help: it is a sign of strength and maturity.<\/p>\n I have told the story, perhaps true, of the great comedian W. C. Fields, in the last months of his life, in sanatorium, visited one morning by a friend. Fields sat in a corner, by a window with sun shining in, a Bible on his lap, which surprised his friend. \u201cBill, what are you doing? I\u2019ve never seen you reading a Bible!\u201d<\/p>\n Fields looked up and said, \u201cLooking for loopholes.\u201d<\/p>\n Godfrey Daniel!!! There are<\/em> no loopholes in life. We might think so\u2026 we might fervently hope so\u2026 we might fool ourselves and think there must<\/em> be, \u201cif God is a loving God!\u201d<\/p>\n But God leapfrogged over that<\/em> definition of love. He sent Jesus to settle that question; and sent His Holy Spirit to remind us. We need reminders about, um, shopping lists and movie times. Why not about pleasing God and doing His will?<\/p>\n