PARADOXICAL

I have been hounded by this contradiction for so long. I've learned the key word is balance. And balancing is an art. ; )

Lord, keep all the other cars an inch away from me.

So goes a favorite prayer of people who do a lot of driving. In some ways, this prayer is similar to what Jesus is telling us in today’s passage. He tells us not to worry, that he will give us the words to speak when we are experiencing trouble or persecution because of our faith. But then, right after telling us not to worry, he tells us that we’ll only be safe if we endure and persevere. So which is the right strategy? To rest and relax or to plan and persevere?

The traveler’s prayer above assumes that the driver is using his own common sense and good driving habits, even as he is depending on the Holy Spirit to guard against unseen dangers. Likewise, we all need to have a good balance as we move through our daily lives. It can be very easy to get wrapped up with “doing our own thing”—even good things—without looking to the Spirit for wisdom, guidance, and strength. Of course, we need to work hard, but at the same time we need to draw on the power of the Spirit. We can’t do one without the other.

As we grow in our Christian lives, we recognize more and more how this marvelous relationship works. It’s an integral relationship between our perseverance and divine intervention. Whether it’s prayer, family, work, money, or even recreation, we need to work hard. Yet when we factor in the power of the Holy Spirit, the true greatness of the Christian life unfolds for us—even in times of difficulty!

Experience may teach us devastating results when we have one without the other. St. Augustine is said to have encouraged people to work as if everything depended on them and to pray as if everything depended on God. As you try your best to make decisions in union with the Holy Spirit, you will begin to see how closely these two dimensions of life work together. And then you will become an instrument of God’s amazing grace at work in this world.

“Come, Holy Spirit; be present in all I think and do. Teach me how to make decisions that allow God’s grace to flow as I go through the pursuits of this day.”

Source: http://www.wau.org/meditations/meditations.asp?month=11&day=24&year=2004&x=0&y=0

posted by Resty Odon  # 2:44 PM