If you're like me, you probably haven't been as good at keeping your lent vows as you would have liked, but you have made some progress.
That's OK - fortunately we don't have to be perfect - we just have to try. And even in the trying, we have help and lots of resources to get us and keep us in the right frame of mind.
Jesus did some of his most complete work in the Beatitudes & Sermon on the Mount. The problem lies in that they seem to conflict - on one hand Jesus says blessed are all that are in trouble, downtrodden and poor and on the other hand he lays down rules and regs that are impossible to meet or follow.
So here lies the rules and regs which are impossible, and yet we're forgiven for everything. How can we reconcile this? Actually we can't, and we're not really meant to. God certainly doesn't want us to worry about it (the lilies of the field and all that), and yet it is vital that we give it all we have.
I think it can best be summed up by this wonderful passage in Romans:
For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
I love this scripture, cause even in the more classical translations Paul totally expresses the frustration with the dichotomy and duality in all our characters.
God has repeatedly said that he will help in this endeavor - he wants us to succeed, even though it may appear that we can't or there's no chance. As a matter of fact he wants to give us His kingdom. And God doesn't even request that we know the total plan. We don't have to. He knows it, and in His timing will reveal everything. Actually, this is a pretty great way of doing this.
I call this process unfoldment. It is an unfoldment of our own nature, character, capability and accomplishments. If we do not even try, we will not only unfold, we will never know the true capability of what we can be. As unfoldment implies, we do not necessarily know all that will be "unfolded" or revealed until we make the effort to try and unfold ourselves.
And then here comes Jesus. He teaches us how to do this unfolding, sets a marvelous example, and just about the time we're at our rope's end (remember the Beatitudes), he dies on the cross so that we have a paved way to God.
The process I talk about here on this blog is about our unfoldment. It hopefully will inspire you to take that risk to take that leap of faith. This is the only way to unfold and experience life the way God and Jesus Christ meant for us to.
This weekend is the most important sacred weekend in the Christian faith. It's a time to not only rejoice, but to renew our courage and stamina. Even though our times may be tough today with the economy in constant turmoil, this is exactly the time to take that risk. Start your own company. Start your new career. Start your new life.
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