"In the last week, what was your primary preoccupation in life? What was your spiritual focus? Was it on the spot where God most reveals His personal love for you - the cross? Or was it on your own circumstances, your own condition, your own concerns? Was your preoccupation with your personal pursuit of godliness? Growth in godliness must be pursued, but never apart from joyful gratitude for the cross." C. J. Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing, pg. 106
This series of questions is quite thought provoking. You may notice just to the left a Bible verse (Galatians 2:20) that speaks to this topic of meditating on the cross. Mahaney does a great job of challenging the reader to examine his/her walk with Christ. I commend this book to you.
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing this, Jon. I know we are supposed to examine ourselves, but it's so easy to simply ask, "Am I performing well" instead of, "Am I focusing on the gospel."
Truth is, if I think I'm performing well, I'm probably not focused on the gospel. And if I'm not performing well, what I need is the gospel.
When will I learn this, Pastor Jon?
I agree. I often examine my "performance" too. Anytime our focus is on us it is not on Christ, or the cross, or the gospel.
Mahaney talks in the book about preaching the gospel to ourselves daily (chapt. 13). This is a helpful strategy to daily remind ourselves of the cross, where we were when God found us, what we have been saved from and saved to, about forgiveness, reconciliation and in the end perserverance.
As a pastor/preacher there is a danger in evaluating what we 'do' in light of our own ability. We must seek to be simply a vessel which God can use, empowered by His Spirit, all for His glory.
It is a struggle regardless of our ministry postition. I mean the folks in the pew wrestle with the same issues.
Not sure if this is helpful or more confusing.
Thanks for stopping by and for commenting. I value the input. Press on!
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