“On a typical day I am charged with the pastorate of three congregations. I teach regularly at the seminary. I have students living in my house. I am writing three books. Countless people write to me. When I start each day, therefore, I make it a point to spend an hour in prayer with God. But if I have a particularly busy day, and am more rushed than usual, I make it a point to spend two hours with God before I start the day.”—Martin Luther
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What a thought-provoking analogy. I must chew over it. I guess it is easy to begin building on the foundation of Christ, but extremely difficult to continue using fine materials, without using the wood, hay, straw of one's own ego and one's own cleverness, stratagems and devices. I stray all the time by using the wood, straw and hay of my own enthusiasms, and ideas rather than putting things through the sieve of prayer and God's will. But I guess one can always repent and begin again, a little stronger than before 🙂
Do you know what Anita, I'll admit this here and noewhere else because I feel safe.
The truth is that in the parabale in 1 corinthians it says:
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
At times (most of the time) I feel that I build on wood, hay or straw.
It's not nice but that's how I feel.
Me too. I am sure it works though. So much of what we do is unnecessary. Perhaps with practice, the unconscious tunes in to the mind of God, and we stumble upon clever ways to do things, things we can eliminate, and the Gordian knots which can be slashed rather than unravelled.
Wish I were like that….