It bothers me that before I even left the sanctuary this morning, I was speaking harshly about someone. Why is it so easy for me to listen to my faith teachings for over an hour, yet let evil rule my thoughts and actions as soon as the service is finished? How can I sincerely nod my head in agreement with the tenets of my faith then callously ignore all of them so quickly?
I have become a reluctant witness to the love of my God and to His creed. I need to consciously exercise God's plan and resist becoming a faith couch potato. Laziness in piety is the devil's advocate. I find it easier to join in speaking ill of someone than to speak up for them. I find it easier to be smug or arrogant than to be modest or humble. I find it easier to be the Pharisee thanking God for making me so wonderful than to be the tax collector, beating my chest and calling myself the sinner that I am.
Lord, help this reluctant witness follow Your Way more closely. Help me eagerly abide by Your Word in all that I do this next week. Help me follow Your great commandment to love others as I love myself.
Amen.
taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. We hear these words: “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
ReplyDeleteSt Paul had the same prayer~
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