Who’s Responsible?
Tuesday Thought 4.21.26
In our sanctification, what is our responsibility and what is God’s responsibility? Commentary abounds on how to navigate this dance, this walk, with Him. Some assign the most significant activity to us; others to Him. Giving almost complete responsibility to his leadership has been helpful to me. In fact, I can’t actually follow his lead unless He is at work in me. Maybe the hardest call in our growth is the call to forgive everyone of everything. I can’t even be willing to forgive unless He works it in me. What I can do is ask Him to purify my heart. Decades ago, when I said to Him, “I’ll hate my father to my grave unless You deliver me,” He delivered me. Not immediately, of course, but within a few months. He responds to our confession and cry for deliverance with power. We can pray like this, daily: “I don’t know how, nor do I even want to, forgive my ex, or my child, or my parent, or my boss. If You don’t purify my heart, I’ll be stuck here. Please make me willing, or willing to be made willing.” And pray until God responds. The process may take months or years of prayer because there’s so much that needs uncovered and healed in us, but that prayer of confession and cry for help will be answered. And we will move with Him, step by step, closer and closer. The Lord bless you and keep you all your days.
I think we have to keep presenting ourselves to Him, but He, thankfully, does most of the work of changing us.
I am amazed at what God does when we give our pain, hurt, and anger to Him. Glory to God! Thanks Karen for your ongoing thoughtful and prayerful words.