Today, I want to share thoughts from When Strivings Cease by Ruth Chou Simons. But before I do, I want to encourage you to read. Read good books that grow your faith, challenge your thinking, and give you tools for life. And when you do, copy the quotes that speak to your heart into a journal. I even underline these quotes in my books. Then, when I go back, I have collected thoughts that spoke to my soul, and they help me revisit those times when God brought more truth to me or helped me understand things. Read and record what you read!
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Jay Adams believes our messed up wiring is due to sin. That is an adequate explanation, for we are all sinners and live in a sinful world. Larry Crabb believes our problems come from lies we have believed or accepted as truth. And that can often be the case, for the father of lies is always busy sowing seeds of falsehood.
Ruth Simons grapples with finding the source of our striving, our relentless struggle to sort things out, reduce stress, and find a foundation of truth. She says, "Realigning your mind, heart, and identity to grace, not works, is a daily battle. If you find your assurance in who God says you are by the work of grace, your responses will reflect what you value most - what God has done for you."
This realignment of grace is salvation, and it helps us understand who we are and who He is: the God of all comfort, the God who makes us whole, and the God who sorts out our messy wiring. Grace is the foundational truth.
She also addresses the lies we come to believe. "Lies don't have to attack every area of our lives to be effective; they only need to chip away at what we haven't settled once and for all," she says. And I've found that so true. I can have loads of truth plugged in, but one nagging doubt can blow a fuse!
Here are four lies Simons mentions that mess up our wiring.
1. We seek self-improvement that depends on us, not God.
While busy trying to fix ourselves, we fail to yield to His work. He promised in Philippians 1:6 to do a work in us, an eternal work, and if we will but rest in His promise, we will find improvement comes from the work of the Spirit, not from our self-directed efforts.
2. We fret over our image instead of reflecting His.
Vanity captivates us. We want to look good, be perceived as good, and admired by others. But our focus is plugged into the wrong socket! Christ in me—that is the hope of glory. Christ working through me—that is the beauty of Christian living. My image must be of Christ—even when I have a bad hair day!
3. We believe God's holding out on us and needs us to look out for ourselves.
The Lord helps those who help themselves. Really? Where do you find that in Scripture? That is not Bible truth. Instead, God says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things (clothing, food, etc.) shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). God looks out for you. He isn't holding out on you. "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11). If you believe the lie that you must take care of yourself, you are not trusting God. You are taking on a burden too large for you to carry.
4. We welcome the lie that we are beggars and not heirs.
Oh, how the enemy loves to make us feel like beggars. When we accept this lie, we fall for all kinds of self-incriminating thoughts. We fail to venture forth with God and sometimes believe our false humility is virtuous. When God speaks of humility, He isn't referring to His children as unworthy; He's talking about submission and trust. We serve a mighty Father, and as His children, we can claim all the promises of heaven. There is no need for God's children to beg for bread when the table of grace and love is fully laden.
If you see yourself in these lies, it is time to unplug and reconnect to grace and truth. The only reason your wiring is messed up is because you aren't drawing from the right source. Jesus' prayer for you is, "Sanctify (purify internally by the renewing of the soul) them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17).
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