A Prayer About Crazy
Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? Romans 2:4
Heavenly Father, I’ve seen many crazy things in my life and I’ve known some very crazy people. But the most certifiably crazy thing I do is to show contempt for the riches of your kindness, tolerance and patience towards me. I do this when I resist and refuse your liberating leadership-the GPS of grace which leads me to repent of attitudes and actions that will only harm me and others, and most tragically, rob you of glory. Now THAT is crazy.
First of all, what an incredible joy it is to know you as my Father, affluent in the currency of kindness, tolerance and patience. I neither presume nor assume any of these loving ways. I know it’s only because Jesus willingly received just the opposite of your kindness, tolerance and kindness upon the cross that I’m in a position to be dealt with so mercifully and graciously.
Secondly, what a beautiful thing it is to know you are leading me to brokenness, not to broken-down-ness; to humility, not to humiliation; to shelter, not to shame; and to repentance, not to penance. For when I repent, I’m not the one making promises for change, YOU are. Only you can change me and you are changing me, for you have covenanted to do so. When I repent I simply collapse upon Jesus once again… as my righteousness, my holiness, and my sure hope of a new and change heart.
So today, kind Father, I want this to be a day, growing into a week, of non-resistance. Help me to discern and delight in the convicting work of your Holy Spirit. Lead me to Jesus, and away from my defensiveness, my selfishness, my arrogance, my pettiness… and those are just four of many more. So very Amen, I pray, in Jesus’ name.
