Monday, December 30, 2013

Church Work

I was talking with my parents about church life. My parents noted that there are many people they see who are very active at church but have terrible problems with their spouses and children. There is a temptation to believe that religious activity will lead to a better life. Yet the message of the gospel of Jesus is that none of these things can save you. Your Bible studies cannot save you. Your hymns cannot save you. Your prayers cannot save you. These are all good things, but it is because they are good things that they are dangerous. We can be fooled into believing that just by doing them we can fix ourselves. Yet the message of Jesus is that what we most desperately need, the healing of our broken lives, is the one thing that we cannot get by our own efforts. Salvation is a gift, not a reward.

And parents! No matter how much you pray, unless you actually take the time to be present with your children and try to understand them, your prayers will not help your relationship. Talking to God is no substitute to listening to your children.

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