ohhh...

This will be the first of a couple of posts in a row. I have some things to share, but they are of different subjects and deserve separate posts.

Back to the 'in and of the world' thing...

I am reading my daily devotion just moments ago and this:

What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick. . . Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. . . I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God.

So, this is where I am. . . I think indeed my obsession with living a holy life is for naught. And, thanks be to God for taking the time and the focus to teach me these things in the past few months. I have had it all wrong all along! It is not a need for more Godly living that my life is lacking. In fact, it is a need for more God. It is not my imperfect record that has caused my strife, but my imperfect relationship with God. The more I think that I can live more "Godly," the further I am from the truth. I can and will never attain God's standard for my life through the lack-luster power of my own effort and devotion. I. Will. Fail. Every. Time.

Instead, I am to grow closer and closer to Him in the midst of the fuzzy, un-focused background of my every day life. I am to seek Him, not just encounter Him or stumble upon Him. Really, what does a life look like that is devoted to perfecting a relationship with God? No, no, no. . . That's not what I meant. I don't mean how should I live my life in devotion to God. What I mean is how do I obtain a perfect relationship with Him? The answer seems too simple, clear as it is in every part of Scripture. Isn't it constant two-way communication, death of self, meditation on the Word, praise and worship, all of the things I've read over and over? Surely it can't be that simple.

Let me give it a try and, as always, keep you posted. In the meantime, pray for me on this journey.