GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES

We humble ourselves before the Lord. Because of overwhelming problems or unshakeable sins we realize how inadequate we are at handling life and living as a citizen of the kingdom of God and cry out to God.

God lifts us up. He gives grace to the humble, pouring mercy, hope, and power into our lives by the Spirit and Word.

We begin to walk worthy of our calling. We begin to love and live a little more like Jesus and see God’s grace pour from our lives to bless other people.

We move from dependency and gratitude to competency and contempt. We forget our inadequacies and begin to believe that people are being blessed because we are such competent Christians. We begin to look down on others who don’t seem to have grasped “the secret” of living a successful Christian life. We begin to feel entitled to more grace.

The walls fall in again. Circumstances overwhelm us. Sin won’t let go of us. God is disciplining His children. We can’t manage life. Loving and living like Jesus seems like the impossible dream.

We humble ourselves. We have hope in a God who is full of mercy and patience, so we cry out to Him again.

God lifts us up…

Can this cycle be completely broken in this life? I’m not sure. The key is keeping always before our mind that we can do nothing apart from Christ and apart from Christ we are nothing—to recognize that even at our best we do not love God or others to the extent that Christ did. We have every reason to be humble and no reason to feel competent.