Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Instruments In The Redeemer's Hands: Appendix 1-2

How true it is that we are so blinded by ourselves in so many ways. As I read these chapters I saw myself all over them. What I began to realize even more is how utterly dependent we are on God to help us see with new eyes, to borrow a phrase from David Powlison. And how awesome yet frightening it is to use other sinners to work redemptively in our lives and be our eyes when we don’t see ourselves; awesome, because God might use me in someone else’s life as an instrument of change, and frightening because I am naturally so fearful of others, and have been so guarded about myself and my struggles. As I am writing this, I realize that God is even pleased to use the written words of man to further open the eyes of the blind!

One mask that God has allowed me to see for what it is in recent years is that of seeing God in the midst of the suffering. Or perhaps it ought to be better said that He is teaching me to look for Him in the midst of suffering. Indeed, “God sends trials for [my] redemptive good” (280). However, in this section I have just quoted from, Tripp begins by with the principle of reaping what you sow from Galatians 6. I often see my life situations as appearing out of the blue- I suppose that in some cases this is valid- but often, if I am honest with myself, the struggles I face are a result of my own sin. I find it not always difficult to look back and see the sowing of current harvests, but rather laborious and therefore I just do not want to unpack it all. I would rather wade, swim, flounder my way through, praying for help, and keep going with life once the tide subsides; of course, there is very little, if any, significant heart change that takes place in this. Therefore, I need to be willing to do the hard work that is required; and I need to remember that I don’t have to go through it alone.

The ultimate goal in working through life’s trials rightly is to be able to serve God with this experience by helping others who struggle similarly. I pray that God would indeed so work in me and use me to bring the objectivity, wisdom, clarity, and purpose to bear in the lives of those who are blinded by their sinfulness and are struggling through trials.

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