BILINGUAL DEVOTIONAL
  • Blog
  • Why?
  • Blog
  • Why?

Incongruencia... Incongruity...

3/29/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture

“Ofreced sacrificios de justicia, Y confiad en Jehová.” (Salmos 4:5)

Los que vivimos y trabajamos en la Palabra, nos encontramos frecuentemente con la gente en sus tiempos más difíciles. Queremos estar para apoyar y ofrecerles ánimo espiritual.

Estar con los creyentes maduros en su momento de dolor parece edificarme a mí más de lo que yo pueda hacer por ellos. Su confianza en la voluntad de Dios me humilla. Observarlos es vivir por la vista y no por la fe... son una demostración brillante de la gracia de Dios en acción.

Es en los momentos oscuros cuando los que se encuentran lejos de Dios nos harán sus preguntas… “¿por qué?” “¿por qué a nosotros?” Aunque nuestra respuesta en cuanto a los detalles será inadecuada, hay claridad sobre el gran propósito de Dios: usará lo doloroso para traer a otros a Cristo. Algunos buscarán como nunca antes. Ahora, sí, escucharán.

Pero, además de eso, hay momentos cuando termino con los dientes rechinando y rascándome la cabeza.

Lo que oigo de repente es un nivel de confianza en Dios casi increíble que apunta a una madurez espiritual más que promedio… alcanzada únicamente al final de la odisea espiritual de un discípulo humilde y disciplinado.

Esto va a sonar duro, pero… me temo que algunos hayan aprendido a manejar un lenguaje cristiano para enmascarar una agenda personal arraigada y una intransigencia en cuanto a cosas en su vida que Dios desecharía.

Repelen la tragedia como un pato el agua sobre su espalda. Se las ingenian para salirse con la suya mientras aparentan que fue Dios quien hizo todo por ellos. Mientras tanto, lo que se ve de su vida personal es incongruente: incumplimiento espiritual, vida en casa un desastre, infidelidad a la pareja, peso muerto para su iglesia, cero diezmo, vicio, mucha vida social, poco testimonio y rachas de carácter que harían ruborizarse al más endurecido criminal...

¡Qué vergüenza! …por intentar que eso se pareciera a confianza en Dios!

La confianza que El infunde viene mediante una vida acostumbrada a la sumisión y la obediencia a la Palabra. La gente realmente confiada en Dios en las pruebas profundas, también resulta ser gente cuyas vidas son congruentes con sus palabras.

"Temblad, y no pequéis; Meditad en vuestro corazón estando en vuestra cama, y callad. Selah. Ofreced sacrificios de justicia, Y confiad en Jehová."  Salmos 4:4-5

"Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD."  Psalms 4:5

We who live and work in the Word, are often around people when they are going through their hardest times. We want to be there to show support and offer encouragement.

Being around experienced believers in the midst of their pain seems to edify me more than what I am able to do for them. Their confidence in the will of God humbles me. To observe them is to live by sight, not by faith... they are a shining demonstration of the grace of God at work.

For those who are far from God, it is often in their darkest hours when they will ask: “why?” “why us?” Even though our answers will feel inadequate, there is clarity about the larger purpose of God: He uses what hurts to bring others to Christ. Some will seek as never before. Some will listen now.

But, in addition to that, there are moments when I am left grinding my teeth and scratching my head.

What I hear occasionally is a nearly incredible level of confidence in God that points to a spiritual maturity way beyond average… the kind that is found at the end of a journey that only a humble, self-disciplined disciple would arrive at.

This is going to sound hard, but I am afraid that some have a handle on how to use Christian jargon to mask an entrenched personal agenda and intransigence regarding things in their lives that God would throw away.

They shed tragedy like water off a duck's back. They manage to get their own way and make it look like it was God working for them: incomplete obedience, home life a shambles, marital infidelity, dead weight for their church, zero tithe, vice, lots of social life, little testimony and character issues that would make hardened criminals blush.

How shameful… trying to make that look like confidence in God!

Confidence that He instills comes through a life accustomed to submission and obedience to His Word. People that are that genuinely confident in God in deep trial also happen to be people whose lives are congruent with their words.

"Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD."  Psalms 4:4-5

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    ​
    ​Yes...! As of July 5, 2020, my book is now available on Amazon.com.
       It's a new book about an old problem: the cross and the crown… the Gospel and politics… do they mix? Should they mix?
       If my words generate some reflection and healthy conversation—as in more light and less heat—I will be satisfied.
       For feedback or questions, feel free to use the email link below.

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Greg Smith

    Greg grew up in Menomonee Falls, WI. His ministry began in 1976: 5 years in Central America, 36 in Mexico. His passion is church planting and discipleship.
    ​​
    Greg enjoys being married to Carol Ahola-Smith. Both have been missionaries (Japan and Mexico); both watched their first spouses precede them in death.
    ​
    Together, they have a heart for writing, mentoring and teaching.  They enjoy long walks and good coffee.

    CAROL'S BLOG
    LIVINGTHEJOY.NET

    Archives

    April 2020
    May 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016


    Categories

    All
    Assurance
    Dedication
    Discipline
    Evangelism
    Holy Spirit
    Hospitality
    Quietness
    Salvation
    Volunteer


If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world. --Ludwig Wittgenstein
Creative Commons License
Bilingual Devotional is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.