Unshackled Moments ~ February 16, 2018 ~ Stay Desperate

When we came to that place where with 100% honesty and conviction we could admit, to ourselves if no one else, that our life was beyond our ability to manage, control or fix and that there is a Power greater than us who can restore us and set us free, with the desperation of the drowning we cried out, Have mercy on me! Help! We surrendered our will and lives to the care of Daddy. We were desperate. Few are able to truly turn their lives over to God while they still believe they can successfully do the job of running things themselves. We didn't need to examine our lives to see the mess. We didn't have to look hard to see how much we needed Him to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.

We were like the sinner Jesus spoke of praying for mercy on me, a sinner. At the same time Jesus condemned the Pharisee who felt he was good enough on his own and prayed, God I thank you that I am not like that sinner over there (my paraphrase). We read the story in Luke 18, and perhaps even feel a little smug as we thank God that we are not like the foolish Pharisee. But it is all too easy to slip into that very trap. After a little time free from the worst of our bondage, do we lose our desperation? Do we forget that we need Him now as much as we did when we were in our cups or whatever our chains happened to be?

One of the blessings of Lent is that it is a calling to examine not only our actions, but our hearts. It's more than looking for areas of sin that need to go, but a call to look for where and how we have begun once again to rely on self sufficiency. We are still as unable as always to do it on our own. We still, no matter how much our life has improved or how much time we have walked free from our slavery and captivity, need Him to do for us.

Lord, fill us once more with a desperation for You. Help us to always remember that we still can't do it ourselves. May we see our need and rely fully on You that we may never fall back into our own will. Amen 

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