Bait & switch? Trying to be good, part 2

For some people, coming to faith has felt a bit like a bait-and-switch operation. At first, we hear mostly about grace. We hear we are saved by grace and that salvation is a free gift. But after a while, we are encouraged to try to be good. Yet it is exhausting to try to be good. 

We think, This so-called free gift costs more than my puny self can buy. I’ll never make it. Consider the disastrous results of trying to be good. When we seem to be successful at growth, our spirituality becomes about us, not about the power of God in our lives. When we try hard and fail, we berate ourselves and spend tremendous energy on guilt and hopelessness instead of letting ourselves be drawn into the divine life by becoming fascinated with the great example of Jesus in the Gospels. This weight of trying to be good is an unnecessary load because the way to God is the way of all-encompassing inner transformation. God will work in us (see Philippians 1:6). 

We have a part in cooperating with God, which is what we’ll explore in this book. But even then, we must not make it our project. We need to ask God to show us what the next small steps are and how to take them.  

TODAY’S EXPERIMENT  Confess any attempts to become like Jesus simply by trying hard to do so. Reflect on the results (or lack of, especially sins that never seem to go away). Consider the energy you have used and the results you’ve experienced. Then, feast for a moment on this idea: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27, NIV). Dwell on that thought. If you wish, ask God to do this work within you. Then ask him to show you the next small step (or two or three) you need to make to cooperate in bringing this about in your life. If you’re not yet convinced he’ll show you, ask him for that faith. Pray also for Christian groups and their leaders to long for this inner transformation so that Christians can become a touchpoint between heaven and earth.

Johnson, Jan; Willard, Dallas (2014-01-31T22:58:59). Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice: Experiments in Spiritual Transformation (Redefining Life) . The Navigators. Kindle Edition. 

 

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