"Let Your Doing Emerge from your Being"

This excerpt got me thinking....

"In the 1982 film Annie, the orphan is swept out of the vile clutches of Miss Hannigan at the inner city orphanage, where she and her friends spent their “hard knock life” mired in menial tasks, and delivered into the gleaming mansion of the billionaire Mr. Warbucks. When she first arrives, she is mesmerized by its size and beauty, and by the scores of cheerful servants. Her hostess asks, “Well, Annie, what would you like to do first?” Annie misunderstands. She says she’d probably like to start by washing the windows, and then she'll move on to scrub the floors. She’s thinking she needs to get to work. The hostess just wants to know what fun thing she’d like to start her new life doing.

Annie has not realized she is not an orphan any more.

Christian, you are a Christian. You have a new identity. You are in Christ, and Christ is in you. Let your doing emerge from your being. It will not work the other way around."

Is it so hard to believe that our God's disposition towards us is favorable? Not tolerable, not reluctant, not sluggish in his affections. On the contrary! He is swift to bless! He runs to us when he sees us far off in the distance. He chases us down with his blessings. His goodness and mercy, they shall follow me ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE! Dare you believe it Christian? You must if you are to go on in this life with joy and confidence. We extol God's virtues and magnify His goodness when others observe our unbridled confidence in His love for us at all times. All times.

Does God ever get disappointed with us? Does he give the proverbial parental sigh and wish we could "get it right?" What does Scripture say? "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." Gal. 2:20 There was a great exchange and transaction. Jesus took on all of my penalties and I got to receive all the rewards from His work! I am treated as if I'm the one who earned these benefits. He was treated as if he deserved all of my punishments. He did the work of living a perfect life and suffering for my sin. So why then do I try to add to what is complete and perfect already? Doesn't the adding to it actually pervert the splendor and awesomeness of it all?!

Excuse me, but if I went to the Chrysler Museum tomorrow and pulled out my black sharpie and proceeded to "enhance" some work of art, well, no doubt I would be in serious trouble but worse still, I would have profaned a master's work. So how is it that I so glibly do the same thing when I try to add to The Master's magnus opus (The finished work of Jesus on the cross?) I do it daily. I do when I fail to remember my Father's immovable disposition towards me when I fall. Oh its so easy to remember He loves me when I'm acting so "good".

What about the moments when I'm angry and rude? Not feeling the love right then. Instead of apologizing, I begin to work harder. Perhaps I resolve to read my bible a little longer, write a larger check at the fundraising banquet, speak sweeter to my husband. Great things but am I doing them out of love for God or really because I'm trying to make up for my deficit? Wait! Am I really living this "life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me..."

Seriously. Do I believe that? Do I live by faith? Do I fight to hold on to the truth..."the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." Push it out a bit. Do I fear I will fall out of His good graces? Do I ignore Him like I do others who I have offended?

Do I interpret every bad detail in my life as His displeasure with me? Wait a minute? Doesn't that sound strangely familiar? Like the pagans who were always offering sacrifices to appease their gods. You mean I still do that too? After all of these years of following Christ. Surely I should be farther along than this? Oh God! Deliver me from my own plan for self-improvement! I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST! I HAVE BEEN RAISED TO NEW LIFE IN HIM!

I really must be ruthless with my thoughts. I must tell my soul, "Enough! Stop your unbelieving striving. To hell with all your works! There is nothing left to do. What you could never do was done for you! Turn away and believe. Get on with being. Then your doing will be sweet."

I just can't seem to get out of my own way. That's okay. He's got that all figured out too.