Devotion - Tuesday, Jan 29

Our Sunday Morning discussion group arrived too late in the hour at the section on "Free Will." Too late, in that there wasn't nearly enough time to digest the information and come to some understanding of what the author was saying.

How providencial it is, that today's appointed reading is Philippians 2:12-13. Here, Paul speaks to the two things we were talking about on Sunday when the bell rang and class ended.

St. Paul writes: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

We have been taught, carefully taught, that we are free to choose. Free to choose to do the right thing, do the wrong thing, do nothing when something ought to have been done. We must, work out our salvation. We must take the steps, make the decisions, complete the actions which connect us to God and God's mission.

But if we convince ourselves that we do so as a result of the strength of our own conviction or strength of will, we are guilty of the arrogance associated with self-pride. We put our own work in the place where the work of Christ belongs. It is God, at work in us, which makes it possible for us to will and to work.

The snag which is always thrown into such discussions is, "What about those those who don't will or work. Why is it that God doesn't move them to action?" I don't know. I have never heard an answer which completely satisfies. What I have discovered is that I am less helpful to those persons when I blame them for failing to act and more productive when I speak to them of allowing God to work through them. In the latter case, they are free to respond to God without having to set aside a heavy load of guilt.

It is essential that each of us examine our thoughts, words, and actions. We must work to set aside all that does not reflect the presence of Christ in our lives. We embark upon this course confident that we will succeed. Confident, because God is already at work within us, enabling us.

Pastor Chris