For parents out there I am sure that you get this. Although we are not parents yet, I know we will experience this when kids come along. However, this is something in which I believe God is saddened about how His children are acting.
I am convicted.
What exactly is conditional cooperation? I believe it's where we do the things we want to do when they are convenient, but when they are not so convenient we just don't do them.
Abner in the book of 2 Samuel is where I first discovered this title. Abner was the top dog commander in Saul's army. When Saul died, he stepped in for a period of about 5 years in order to attempt to defeat David's army. That just wasn't possible. Abner realized that Saul's family wasn't going to be able to take over the kingdom and they were doomed. He decided it was time to change sides and hoped that David would make him the commander of his army.
Abner lived by his wits and his will. To him, God was someone with whom he would cooperate if it suited his plans. Otherwise he did what was best for him at the time. David was quick to put him in the position he wanted, but it didn't last long because Joab was guilty of jealousy and killed him.
I have been convicted of this in the area of love and prayer. We spent this past Friday and Saturday at a prayer conference and then church this morning was on love. Colin Millar taught us how to pray now. When we are out and about at the grocery store, a restaurant, or the restroom; PRAY NOW! I am not good at that! Why? Because it makes me vulnerable and uncomfortable. Michael does an amazing job and does it well! I am sure it makes him uncomfortable, but he does it.
Same with love. It's easy to love those that we go to church with or are friends with, but what about the people who hurt us or are strangers that drive way to fast on the freeway or maybe they just look different than us?
I don't want to be known as a conditional lover.
I don't want to be known as a conditional prayer warrior.
I don't want to be known as a conditional giver.
I don't want to be known as a condition ANYTHING!
Lord, teach me what it means to live in such a way that I am literally being your hands and feet. That I may love, pray, give, and whatever else it is You call me to do like You do. I want to live in such a way that other see You through me. Teach me not to be a conditional person. Instead to be Unconditional! Amen.
I feel like being conditional is part of the human condition though. No one is unchanging and perfectly consistent but God. But I love that he is consistently refining our inconsistencies out of us, that sanctifying us is part of the journey, part of how he loves us and something he loves doing in us.
ReplyDeleteHave you heard that song "Not Living in the In-Between" by Bebo Norman?
Absolutely agree with you Katie. God is continually refining us and sanctifying us. I believe that the beauty of God is found in our refinement and the journey. I just listened to that song and I love it! Totally fits with this blog!
DeleteI know what you're feeling Britt! Jesus said "If you love me, you will abide in Me!" (John 15) I consider this statement in my feeble brain to mean that Jesus is referring to constant awareness of our need for Him--- through prayer and obedience, this is supposed to be a normal part of Biblical life. Now, Yes we fail, we fall short, and that's why we have forgiveness of sins. But God commands us, "Be holy, as I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16)... We are to continually to be striving to look like our Savior and to "WORK out our salvation with fear and trembling" (philippians 2:12) AS God makes us AWARE of all the sin and disobedience in our lives, we are to consent to His healing work for it is "Him who works in us to do what's pleasing in His sight" (Phil. 2:13). There is a beautiful balance of responsibility and dependence. We depend on God because we can "do nothing apart from Him" (John 15:5), and He gives us the responsibility to "obey His commands" (John 15:14) through His Holy Spirit. I semi agree with you Katie. Here are my reasons why: in the Gospel of John it states
ReplyDelete"but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. "(1 John 2:5-6 ESV)
We are to walk the same way Jesus walked! I'm careful not lean on the side of the popular statement "we're just human" because Christ died to give us His condition, a right relationship with the Heavenly Father. If we let a little bit of that "I'm human" business in, it gives us an excuse(I know that it does it for me) to be more like our old nature when God's word is constantly telling us to throw that off. I don't want to use the excuse "I'm human" to walk in the flesh, but instead say "I'm saved" as an excuse to walk by the Spirit. So, I get what you're saying about the sanctification process, I agree 100%, but I believe Christ's Spirit gives us rebirth and the ability to please God which is walking in purity by depending on the Holy Spirit 24/7. If we weren't capable of walking daily in the Spirit of Christ 24/7 then Jesus wouldn't have given us the strong command to "abide in Him". We do go from glory to glory- continually being sanctified into His likeness, so when Christ reveals a sin in our lives, He gives us the strength through Him to walk it out. But if we know these things, blessed are we if we do them! We must work out what He First works in us.
I think we're saying the same thing Katie, I just really have a pet peeve with "Human condition" statement because the Bible is so clear that we are to walk in our new nature. I know I am not perfect and I fail and fall short daily- I'm so in desperately in need of Christ... I know in myself I am nothing, but with Him I can do all things! All glory to Him for enabling us to please Him!
ReplyDeleteLindsey, I hear what you are saying also. I have heard you say that you don't like the I'm human statement, but the truth of the matter is we just are. We aren't God and won't be made perfect till we get to Heaven. I believe that is what to humble ourselves means. Recognize and realize that we are imperfect human beings who Christ wants to refine, teach, and grow in us all a likeness to Him. When God says to abide in Him, I believe He wants us to walk like He walked. However, God knows that we aren't going to be perfect and we are going to make mistakes. That's why He sent His son. Ultimately, I believe we are all saying the same thing. God wants us to be unified and to love one another.
ReplyDeleteexactly! Some people use "Im human" as an excuse to walk by the flesh, and that's the problem I have with the statement.
ReplyDelete& Katie wasnt saying that about the human condition. So, forgive me Katie for replying as if oyu were explaining the human condition in that way!!! Anytime I read or hear that word I cringe and automatically go to tgat train of thought because I used to make that excuse to sin. forgive me for the impulse response dear sister! We really all are on the same page :)
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