I have been thinking about this idea for a while... Self-will vs God's will...
Over and over and over - we frame stuff in terms of YOU go do... I go.. I decide.. I do...
The thing that worries me about this is that it puts a focus back on your own self... You are making the decision that something needs to be done - and you rely on the power of your own fortitude, skills, and strengths to accomplish it..... This sort of thing is a zero-sum game, though... Moving from "Self-will" to "Self-will" doesn't get us anything - no matter how good or bad sounding the preceding adjectives are....
See - when we move from Self-willed Hedonism and Narcissism to self willed Compassion, humility, and charity - we FEEL like we are doing something *Good*... We feel Righteous, like we have accomplished something.... We puff out our chests because WE are being Godly - but really, the pride is the pride of feeling Better than somebody else... Of being STRONGER than them...
Similarly, when we cast off the self willed compassion, restraint, and humility and cave in to self-willed narcissism and hedonism - it's cast as "Backsliding" or "Disobedience"... There's (sometimes) guilt and remorse over this - but frequently, the 'Bad feelings' are simply sorrow over the CONSEQUENCES - not real sorrow or concern over the SIN itself...
Here's a link to a blog post I saw on this - and it really struck me.
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Yitro/Obedience/obedience.html
Thanks
Over and over and over - we frame stuff in terms of YOU go do... I go.. I decide.. I do...
The thing that worries me about this is that it puts a focus back on your own self... You are making the decision that something needs to be done - and you rely on the power of your own fortitude, skills, and strengths to accomplish it..... This sort of thing is a zero-sum game, though... Moving from "Self-will" to "Self-will" doesn't get us anything - no matter how good or bad sounding the preceding adjectives are....
See - when we move from Self-willed Hedonism and Narcissism to self willed Compassion, humility, and charity - we FEEL like we are doing something *Good*... We feel Righteous, like we have accomplished something.... We puff out our chests because WE are being Godly - but really, the pride is the pride of feeling Better than somebody else... Of being STRONGER than them...
Similarly, when we cast off the self willed compassion, restraint, and humility and cave in to self-willed narcissism and hedonism - it's cast as "Backsliding" or "Disobedience"... There's (sometimes) guilt and remorse over this - but frequently, the 'Bad feelings' are simply sorrow over the CONSEQUENCES - not real sorrow or concern over the SIN itself...
Here's a link to a blog post I saw on this - and it really struck me.
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Yitro/Obedience/obedience.html
Thanks