Prolonged frustration and bother don’t happen simply to goad us into good behavior or to teach us a lesson—they keep us from pretending we can do anything apart from Christ. And such things happen so we’ll find Him. The inability to keep yourself together or to keep producing the look of love for someone for whom you feel none is not a sign that you need to recommit and do the right thing. It’s meant to show you that you cannot (and are not supposed to) do anything apart from Jesus. Frustration is the beginning of the end of pretending.
Posts
Oooh, me like: Frustration is the end of pretending!
ReplyDeleteOone of my fav parts in the book! LOVE!
ReplyDeleteI borrowed this to share with my sister, thanks! It sums up what we were discussing yesterday! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to think of suffering as "penalty." But that belief will lead us to wonder why things happen to us that are entirely unrelated to anything we deserve. However, if we see what suffering did for Jesus, we begin to understand it's place in our days, as well as the demand it makes for His life in us. It's not easy, but it is genuine.
ReplyDeleteThis feels very timely for me to hear. Thank you.
ReplyDelete