Been listening to a ‘heavy’ preacher on the internet today. Making vows to God, continual self-examination and having a 'default setting' of serious disposition seemed to be the entrance points for him with life in the Spirit. As the listener, it sounded pretty strong stuff to me. For most of us, getting up in the morning is a triumph, let alone us becoming overcomers in God’s end-time army. Whilst I can’t contest his sincerity, there didn’t seem much grace around in the talk. Obviously 'holiness' and obedience is God's intended desire that's a given but how we get there, well that's another thing.
The application of old testament laws became the justification for obtaining even higher achievements before God could possibly use us. Spirituality, therefore, becoming the possession of an elite few who have attained through their self-effort and willpower ; or at least that’s what I heard. I don’t deny that holiness is God’s way, but let’s not lose sight of grace in our zeal to be used. Leonard Cohen got is right in his song ‘Anthem’:
Ring the bells that still can ring,
Forget your perfect offering;
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
Even the apostle Paul, a colossal giant of the Christian faith, talked about being perplexed at times. He wrote about containing treasure in earthen vessels. (yoghurt pots or tin cans in today’s language), and though he stated clearly that God always causes us to triumph he was willing to be lowered over a wall in a basket to escape in Damascus. Paul's boast was about Gods strength being made perfect out of weakness.
So don’t discount yourself. It’s out of our frailty, or the cracks, that the light can shine and God wants to use us right now to touch others. Our seeming failures are the opportunities for grace to come.