Our safe place, our comfort zone, our man cave, our country, our world...We all live our lives within boundaries, some self-imposed, others established by outside forces and events. For, even as God gives us the Free Will to select, we can and often do choose Restriction, some counter-intuitive constraint. Wonder why that is? Some fear of self-destruction? Some inborn Doubt?
Acceptance of limitations has been for me an on-going life process. At various stages of my life, I've discovered new, specific ones that come with each particular phase. I've also occasionally in reflection identified ones that I had overlooked or denied in years past. Life, here on earth with our inhibitions, is too often merely a recognition of various self-illusions. Then...deciding what to do, if possible or if wanted, about them.
At some point in my early manhood, I decided though that I could control and manipulate much of what life threw my way. And I proceeded to do so in a headlong fashion, often overlooking the welfare of those in my path, not maliciously, just in a self-absorbed egoism. A fervent I'm in charge here manner characterized much of my behavior although I knew down deep, intestinally that only something obscene could lead one to such a manner. Don't get me wrong; my influence on situations and on others was very limited---as I believe is true for all of us. (It takes drama and a massive ego to conclude that you're a meaningful factor in the lives of very many others.) Though the degree of intensity may vary, the ongoing clash between self-doubt and fear vs. self-importance and ego is for all of us ceaseless, I think.
The successful accomplishing of this battle requires God's compassionate hand, I believe. "For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you” ~ Matthew 17:20. As long as one proceeds within the will of God and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, anything is achievable--yes, it is. But, only in step with those two restrictions! "Therefore I say unto you, 'What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them]' " ~ Mark 11:24. Likewise, effective prayer, our communication with God, demands a belief and faith that we seldom can achieve. But, it's there for us if we can. "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13. Facing the vagaries and sinfulness of this world requires that we seek the "escapes" that God makes available...yep, sure enough.
Whew! my rambling got revved up in these remarks. Unfortunately, as Christians, we mouth certain cliches and espouse certain processes that we simply don't completely believe, at least to the point of living our daily lives based on them. Are they illusions that reside within our delusions? I imagine so.
At some point in my early manhood, I decided though that I could control and manipulate much of what life threw my way. And I proceeded to do so in a headlong fashion, often overlooking the welfare of those in my path, not maliciously, just in a self-absorbed egoism. A fervent I'm in charge here manner characterized much of my behavior although I knew down deep, intestinally that only something obscene could lead one to such a manner. Don't get me wrong; my influence on situations and on others was very limited---as I believe is true for all of us. (It takes drama and a massive ego to conclude that you're a meaningful factor in the lives of very many others.) Though the degree of intensity may vary, the ongoing clash between self-doubt and fear vs. self-importance and ego is for all of us ceaseless, I think.
The successful accomplishing of this battle requires God's compassionate hand, I believe. "For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you” ~ Matthew 17:20. As long as one proceeds within the will of God and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, anything is achievable--yes, it is. But, only in step with those two restrictions! "Therefore I say unto you, 'What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them]' " ~ Mark 11:24. Likewise, effective prayer, our communication with God, demands a belief and faith that we seldom can achieve. But, it's there for us if we can. "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13. Facing the vagaries and sinfulness of this world requires that we seek the "escapes" that God makes available...yep, sure enough.
Whew! my rambling got revved up in these remarks. Unfortunately, as Christians, we mouth certain cliches and espouse certain processes that we simply don't completely believe, at least to the point of living our daily lives based on them. Are they illusions that reside within our delusions? I imagine so.
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