Wednesdays with Grace
Brothers & Sisters,
My son’s self-awareness could be his downfall. He has seen his grades, he has compared himself to others, and he has found himself ahead of the curve… For now. Academically, he is a natural. Unfortunately, he is conceited in it. Managing ability in a child, employee, or a spouse is challenging. Whether for the lack or for the abundance, we constantly balance the need for challenge and the need to stay encouraging. With each parent teacher conference, it seems that we are failing one way or another. And I ask myself, “Why can’t he just maintain an attitude to excel? To be the best version of himself? Why is he such a conceited brat!?”
Then I have those honest moments of self-reflection, and I imagine God asking the same questions of me, as I parade around enjoying the successes of His blessing. It is in those moments that I pray an intimidating prayer, “Lord, humble me to be your instrument. Lord, challenge me to be your instrument.”
I sometimes wince as I say that prayer because I know the place of discomfort that can result from being an instrument of God. But I am content in the rewards. Take Grace Church for instance. None of us would ask to go back 12 months. We had no pastor, no building, no cohesion, no comfort. Through a walk with the Spirit, we found all of those things. But our reality is different now, and the plan continues. We must maintain the pressure upon ourselves in continuing to be His instruments and being led by the Spirit. Otherwise, Grace Church will stagnate in its spiritual growth, becoming a dull instrument.
As Christians, we are not our own, and we put ourselves in a place of tension when we seize back possession of ourselves. The best seasons of my life occur when I release that tension, hand Him what He purchased, and become a “slave to righteousness.” It is a challenge, but one full of encouragement. And for the days when I lack the courage to be His instrument, I highly recommend a few minutes with Romans 6 or a listen to this last week’s sermon.
May God bless His instruments,
Thomas Goodrich