Rev. Dustin ParkerBalance in Extreme, Part 2
I hadn't really intended the part two, but I sat and read it and decided that it was fairly incomplete, especially considering my first post on this blog. So I have spoken about balance, and now I need to speak about how I apply it to my life.
And you know what I am buggered when it comes to trying to explain this. So I will tell it as simply as possible.
I look at my life, the things I believe, the passions that I have, the virtues that as a christian I must uphold. Faith is probably the best place to start, as it is the least plausable of christian virtues. It is a complete reliance on what is unseen, what cannot be proven, especially when the evidence is against you. The funny thing is that the Bible also speaks about having faith but working hard too. Proverbs states many times the attributes of wisdom and practicality. So I think there is the first place in which I must balance. And I am quite sure that I do. I have faith for many things. That I will be the writer that I intend to be, which would be simple delusion if I don't sit down and actually write what I need to write and do what I can in order to gain the skills I will need in order to BE that writer. I know that God will take care of me, but I also need to make sure that I am responsible with all that He places into my hands. With these things, the balance is pretty clear. If I simply place everything on God and don't do what He gives me to do, or am not responsible, what I do not have is faith, I just have a crap work ethic. But if I try to do everything myself, I'll become legalistic and will have faith in me rather than Him.
I would also say my perception of grace is also massively important, considering its place in christian doctrine, theology etc. I know that I am forgiven all of my sins, all that I have done, and all that I will do. Which sounds like the biggest reason to go out and do a whole bunch of things I shouldn't do. But at the same time, I no longer WANT to do these things. I don't seek to make myself a man worthy of grace because I know that I cannot. It was Bonhoeffer that wrote about cheap grace, that the church had given the world the idea of it. I know a couple of christians that I have spoken to that say they do not agree with the idea of cheap grace, because grace is a free gift (Romans, somewhere). Which I agree with. It being a free gift that is. I think it starts when we say or think that we have said the prayer so it doesn't matter. Or we have done some very good thing so it doesn't matter. That is when we put a price on something that we cannot pay for. These are two other extremes I need to be balacing. I need to be aware that I am completely fogiven but I must never take it for granted.
JoshZ
And you know what I am buggered when it comes to trying to explain this. So I will tell it as simply as possible.
I look at my life, the things I believe, the passions that I have, the virtues that as a christian I must uphold. Faith is probably the best place to start, as it is the least plausable of christian virtues. It is a complete reliance on what is unseen, what cannot be proven, especially when the evidence is against you. The funny thing is that the Bible also speaks about having faith but working hard too. Proverbs states many times the attributes of wisdom and practicality. So I think there is the first place in which I must balance. And I am quite sure that I do. I have faith for many things. That I will be the writer that I intend to be, which would be simple delusion if I don't sit down and actually write what I need to write and do what I can in order to gain the skills I will need in order to BE that writer. I know that God will take care of me, but I also need to make sure that I am responsible with all that He places into my hands. With these things, the balance is pretty clear. If I simply place everything on God and don't do what He gives me to do, or am not responsible, what I do not have is faith, I just have a crap work ethic. But if I try to do everything myself, I'll become legalistic and will have faith in me rather than Him.
I would also say my perception of grace is also massively important, considering its place in christian doctrine, theology etc. I know that I am forgiven all of my sins, all that I have done, and all that I will do. Which sounds like the biggest reason to go out and do a whole bunch of things I shouldn't do. But at the same time, I no longer WANT to do these things. I don't seek to make myself a man worthy of grace because I know that I cannot. It was Bonhoeffer that wrote about cheap grace, that the church had given the world the idea of it. I know a couple of christians that I have spoken to that say they do not agree with the idea of cheap grace, because grace is a free gift (Romans, somewhere). Which I agree with. It being a free gift that is. I think it starts when we say or think that we have said the prayer so it doesn't matter. Or we have done some very good thing so it doesn't matter. That is when we put a price on something that we cannot pay for. These are two other extremes I need to be balacing. I need to be aware that I am completely fogiven but I must never take it for granted.
JoshZ
From The Home Front
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too true... the only thing that saves me from taking it for granted is gratitude. I have a small white gratitude rock that I carry in order to remind me to say thanks for the good things - at least once or twice - in 21st century hectic pace. BUt I still don't get it right all the time... because I do have passion and balancing that with grace can be quite a task, can it not?
I really enjoyed part 2 and am glad you wrote and posted it.
Thanks
Lilla...
As we irish say
"The grace of God is found,
Between the saddle and the ground."
Thanks again to my most faithful (on this blog) postee.
JoshZ