| Thoughts for today... [message #602] |
Mon, 06 August 2007 15:14 |
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 william
Messages: 1462
Registered: January 2006 |
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From Hoekstra's daily devotions Aug 6, 2007:
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"I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1Co_15:10). Paul worked harder than any other leader in the early church. Yet, he acknowledged that the enabling reality was the grace of God, not himself. This fits perfectly with another confession from Paul that we have also considered in previous devotions. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" (2Co_3:5). Ultimately, such a life is explained as Christ Himself expressing His life in and through our lives. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal_2:20).
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Does this mean that those who don't labor as strenuously don't have the grace to do it?
Did the other apostles simply lack the grace that was given to Paul when it came to "their" labors?
Is a lack of diligence on the part of some simply a result of not having the measure of grace that may be with others? If this is the case can we not conclude that there will always be "weak" brothers and sisters among us? I know that the strong, credit God for their strength (or should) but do those who "ought to be teachers..." simply lack the grace to "be teachers?
I've often wondered about the reason we were given the opportunity to participate in the deeper life message. We, at least with our heads, acknowledge that it was the grace of God, but do we really admit that we had nothing to do with it?
I can remember Bruce Kinsey saying that the 14-16 hours a day that HEF spent studying the word was due to "a gift from God". Now, if this is the case, it is obvious that not all have that gift. Do we only acknowledge such "gifts" when the "gifts" exceed our own labors or do we expect that those who don't measure up to a certain level, don't, because of a lack of commitment on their part?
A bunch of questions… mostly rhetorical.
Blessings,
William
I want to believe!
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