Last night Sam and Annabelle got into an argument, and Sam said some things he wishes he hadn’t. As we talked about what had happened, his assessment of the situation was very insightful. Basically, he said that in his short life, he’s noticed a trend. He said he’s “done it all” … lied, said mean things, made bad choices. And he says he always gets the same advice … “ask for forgiveness, try to do better, and move on with your life”. “The problem is,” he says, “that I want to do the right thing. But I just can’t do better next time”. That’s a profound statement coming from a nine-year-old boy who can’t pick up his own socks.
The Apostle Paul conveys the same perspective to the church … to me. In Philippians 2.13 he writes, “For it is GOD who is working in you [enabling you] both to WILL and to ACT for His good purpose.” It is only through the work of Christ in us, changing us, renewing us, empowering us … that we’ll EVER do better next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment