δουλογος: Don't Have Time For The Lord Today?

Can you really guilt someone or shame someone into studying, praying, or meditating?

A common error in many Christian circles - an error that results from a flawed understanding of how (and by whom) we are sanctified. It grasps the fact that we ought to behave in a certain way as Christians - that certain occupations ought to occupy us - prayer, study of the word, evangelism, good works, etc. - but failing to comprehend how such things are rightly done, it presumes that the external working of these things is what matters, and therefore one simply must do them however they they get done.

This sort of works mentality is driven by fear - fear that sin will separate them from God, fear that sin will condemn them before God, fear that failure to perform indicates slavery to sin, and fear that failure to perform will reveal that they are still corrupted by sin. That is, they are afraid of sin's consequences, having never appropriated the fact that the gospel is the power of -God- unto salvation from sin - they don't believe that they cannot be separated from God by their sin any longer, they don't believe that they are free from all condemnation, from corruption, from enslavement - and lacking that faith, they dare not let God do a thing, for their terror drives them to sanctify themselves because they are sure of one thing - if they lack holiness, they are probably not saved. Thus all they do is directed at keeping themselves saved, or proving it, or trying to obtain it because secretly they think they may have botched it.

And so they take their religious form very seriously, and they guard it in themselves by demanding it in others. If you don't get up at four a.m. to read the bible and pray for as many hours as they do - why, you are surely not as spiritual - or perhaps not spiritual at all. They dare not have their error assailed, so they make sure that your on the same page as them, or they disown you.

Yeah, there is a way to use guilt to make people do a thing, and many do that to their own shame, and to the hurt of everyone if they succeed.

Yet we dare not swing the pendulum too far in the other direction, or cry "witch" at every proper exhortation either. The same statement that encourages a truly spiritual person by turning their eyes to Christ because they understand how it all works - that same statement may ring in the ears of on who doesn't get it and instead of being encouraged spiritually, they are, because they have been long conditioned by spiritually poisonous practice - that same statement drives them to conform through the guilt they have programmed themselves to feel whenever they are encouraged.

You see, guilt can only motivate those who look to themselves to fulfill all that is required of us. They look to their efforts and find them lacking, and see in this condemnation and guilt - and to they are driven to avoid that. that is how guilt works - it requires that one feel condemned all the time - it is the fleeing of condemnation that motivates the guilty, and it is so far from proper in the Christian life I marvel that it is so popular.

My encouragement was not meant to excite those who are feeling condemned into avoiding that feeling - rather it was to build up those who are looking to the fray rather than the Lord - to remind us all that the enemy is at work in every moment to take our eyes off of Christ, and turn us again to our own efforts. If I am satisfied in Christ, my schedule can never be full, can never be upset - for God writes my schedule, and serving Him is the joy of my heart, and not something I do to earn his favor, nor something I do out of a sense of "coerced for this very moment" gratitude - spiritual obedience happens when my obedience is driven by faith - that is, when I obey because I have learned to truly trust that God's way is the best way for me. When His ways become more valuable in my decision making process than my own ways.

My post was a very short encouragement - perhaps too short, but it did give me room to write all this. ;-)

Thanks C.