Monday, December 15, 2014

+DEV+ Pt 1. Responsibility For Soul Care

Date: December 15, 2014 9:33 PM
Topic: +DEV+  Pt 1.  Responsibility For Soul Care

Pt 1.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOUL CARE
by Peter Lord

'The Holy Spirit places in the heart of all true Christians a strong desire to be holy, to be all God wants us to be, to do all we perceive God wants us to do.  When we don't experience the changes we know are necessary, we become frustrated.  We futilely try different methods, formulas, and prescriptions, increasing our sense of frustration.  The answers found effective for others fail to make any difference in our lives or give any real satisfaction.

This repeated sense of falling short is followed by a weary hopelessness.  We might never verbalize, "I give up," but that is our inner conclusion.  We conclude that the standards presented as realities in the Scriptures and the lives of a few other Christians are not possible for us in this life.

At this point, we take various avenues.  Some plod on, but resign themselves to the belief that real inner change is not possible.  This is especially true of full time church workers, those paid to do the job.

Others give up and drop out, believing there is no use in going on if there is no chance of making progress in the right direction.  Those with more determination push on, but many eventually burn out.

In The Closing of the American Mind, Alan Bloom writes, "America has no-fault automobile accidents, no-fault divorces, and it is moving with the aid of modern philosophy toward no-fault choices."  One of the implications he makes is "If I am not responsible for myself, or my decision, I can place the blame elsewhere."   Is this valid?  Can I blame my inner conditions on my parents, culture, wife, job, or even on God?

Who is responsible to care for my soul?  Me alone?  Is it God's responsibility?   Is it the church's job?  Accountability must be clearly defined, because anything that is everybody's responsibility is, in essence, nobody's.  Then we either pass the buck to someone else or assume responsibility we should not. . . .

~~~


From the book: 
'Soul Care'
By Peter Lord





Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.

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