Prodigal: It doesn’t matter, you just have to take responsiblity.
This is from the book No Man Is An Island by Thomas Merton
For it seems to me that the first responsibility of a man of faith is to make his faith really part of his own life, not by rationalizing it but by living it.
James 1:5-6
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
This is from the book The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
When the Bible speaks of following Jesus, it is proclaiming a discipleship which will liberate mankind from all man-made dogmas, from every burden and oppression, from every anxiety and torture which afflicts the conscience. If they follow Jesus, men escape from the hard yoke of their own laws, and submit to the kindly yoke of Jesus Christ. But does this mean that we ignore the seriousness of his commands? Far from it. We can only achieve perfect liberty and enjoy fellowship with Jesus when his command, his call to absolute discipleship, is appreciated in its entirety. Only the man who follows the command of Jesus single-mindedly, and unresistingly lets his yoke rest upon him, finds his burden easy, and under its gentle pressure receives the power to persevere in the right way. The command of Jesus is hard, unutterable hard, for those who try to resist it. But for those who willingly submit, the yoke is easy, and the burden is light.
And they were in the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going before them: and they were amazed; and they that followed were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them the things that were to happen unto him. Mark 10:32
This is from the Aida Mikhailovna Skripnikova in Russia in 1968.
“For the Christian there is only one course,” she said. “The Christian can’t be anything but confrontational. Once you know the truth, this means following it, upholding it, and if necessary suffering for it. I can’t be different. I can’t act any differently. I love freedom and would very much like to be free with my family and friends. But I don’t want to act against my conscience. What good is freedom to me if I can’t call God my Father? The knowledge that my soul and thoughts are free encourages and strengthens me.
Galatians 1:10
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
This comes from the book The Great House of God by Max Lucado
What controls you doesn’t’ control him. What troubles you doesn’t trouble him. What fatigues you doesn’t fatigue him. Is an eagle disturbed by traffic? No, he rises above it. Is the whale perturbed by a hurricane? Of course not, he plunges beneath it. Is the lion flustered by the mouse standing directly in his way? No, he steps over it.
How much more is God able to soar above, plunge beneath, and step over the troubles of the earth! What is impossible with man is possible with God (Matt. 19:26).
This is God’s will, that I should raise up those he has given me. (John 6:39)
Prodigal: It is worthwhile, and that person will appreciate it with a heart of thanksgiving.
This is from the book Defeating Dark Angels by Charles H. Kraft
The freedom that Jesus brings to others and the exciting enrichment He brings into our lives through this ministry make it a thousand times worthwhile. To be allowed to work in the power of God is an incomparable privilege. This is a power far beyond our power, enabling us to do the things Jesus promised we would do (John 14:12). I never plan to quit. It is to too much fun to see freed people smile!
Not by might nor by power, but by me Spirit says the Lord Almighty. Zechariah 4:6 NIV
The work of feeding and tending sheep is hard work, arduous work, and love for the sheep alone will not do it; you must have a consuming love for the Great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. Then He will flow through you in a passion of love and draw men to Himself.
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)
Prodigal: Yes, because we can easily become focused on other things.
To yield anything means simply to give that thing to the care and keeping of another. To yield ourselves to the Lord, therefore, is to give ourselves to Him, giving Him the entire possession and control of our whole being. It means to abandon ourselves, to take hands off of ourselves. The word consecration is often used to express this yielding, but I hardly think it is good substitute. With many people, to consecrate themselves seems to convey the idea of doing something very self-sacrificing, and very good and grand; and it therefore admits of a subtle form of self-glorification. But “yielding” conveys a far more humbling idea; it implies helplessness and weakness, and the glorification of another rather than of ourselves.
Yielding is not the idea of sacrifice, in the sense we usually give to that word, namely, as of a great cross taken up; but it is the sense of surrender, of abandonment, of giving up the control and keeping and use of ourselves unto the Lord. To yield to God means to belong to God, and to belong to God means to have all His infinite power and infinite love engaged on our side. Therefore, when I invite you to yield yourselves to Him, I am inviting you to avail yourselves of an inexpressible and most amazing privilege.
Hannah Whitall Smith
Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.