Posted by Walker on September 09, 2012 at 18:21:02
In Reply to: Re: See page 196 posted by Extreme on September 09, 2012 at 14:34:12:
If you're preoccupied with proving your faith and being a great servant of God, where do you find the space needed to notice the color purple in a field of grass?
Is us foolish mortals pleasing God all God cares about? Maybe God also care about pleasing us, delighting us, playing with us and laughing with us, sweeping us off our feet for no good reason except to share his love. I believe it pisses God off when we don't appreciate what he gives us freely without any merit. We can toil away for the sake of the Kingdom and totally miss seeing and appreciating the forest for all the trees we're busy planting.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to see God's grace shining forth in little purple flowers blossoming amid the grass if we don't feel we deserve to see the Kingdom--right here and now--unless we do something worthwhile to serve God's purpose. Even the color purple can lead people to God. What is our service by comparison?
Fear has a companion, and that is neurotic guilt--what you've called condemnation. Guilt says: You can never do enough, but you can do more, try harder, reach farther, give more, sacrifice everything, keep working and striving. Trying to prove heroic faith is like courting an indifferent lover--we dance, we sing, we put on a cheerful countenance and offer our spiritual bouquets--Always hoping whatever we do is enough to win our Beloved's attention and favor.
If we do great things for God, does that make God love us any more? Do our mighty works of faith please him any more than trees just being trees with their rustling, singling leaves dancing in the wind?