people in my life? Or do I wish they’d go away, or wish DAVE could go away? Or. That Jesus would change them? Hmm. Maybe DAVE is the one needing change? Maybe the reason they are in my life is primarily for MY benefit? Hmm. Suffering produces perseverance, then character, then hope/faith/dependency. Hmm. If not this suffering, what else would it take, for me to be grown more Jesus-dependent? I can only thank Jesus for exactly how they are, and exactly how He’s placed them in my life, when the Spirit has freshly convicted me of my confidence-I-know-what’s-best, and of my unbelief in His total sovereignty over my life and theirs. Only when freshly convicted am I able to enjoy them, just as they are, and Dave just as I am — as I struggle to love/enjoy the jerks/inconsiderates/insensitives in my life. “Love your enemies” (jerks/opponents/bad-guys), Jesus said. Awww, shucks. Why did He have to go an lay down THAT law? If it weren’t for THAT commandment, it’d be a lot easier for me to feel like a great example of a Jesus-follower.
— Dave McCarty, GospelFriendships, always in need of fresh conviction of the sin of independence/confidence-he-knows-what’s-best
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