OVER THE EDGE

There is a big difference between devotion and fanaticism that leads to extremism. I can say that it is easy to get caught up in such things.

And if it the type of extremism that you have during times when your life is normal or usual you may not find a motivation to stop. If there is no impact to your life, no feeling of pain or loss, it is easy to think it is okay.

This happens at times in places we think it is not a problem. Such as a house of worship. A little nudge of devotion and it becomes an obsession.

Lost in the process is the question of whether God inspired it. Was this His will or did we do it for different reasons?

At the core remains the issue of if we are truly searching for truth or our own needs. So our desire stem from a true act of faith or something else.

It can be so easy to rationalize that part and make it seem that it is a good thing regardless of the reality. We can do that so often.

But the center lies within what we are willing to face. To see the deficits in our lives and not be afraid to know how God sees them too.

Only to walk ahead and be joyful that in so doing we might learn the deeper meaning of grace. How it isn't a bargain for our soul.

Works are the gems of heaven when done for the right reasons and out of love. If they are self righteous necklaces then they mean nothing.

Not that you will get those of the legalism persuasion to accept that. They will always see works as tied to salvation.

To move from such shadows of self impressed darkness and into the light can be hard. I will require a sacrifice.

That is to go beyond the world where we see ourselves as the center of the universe to a place where God is on the throne. Trite as some might view such comments, it is still problem.

Otherwise it wouldn't be the issue that we see so often in too many spiritual settings. They are so intimidating perhaps, but not necessarily from the Lord.

Finding that avenue of light to follow can be a challenge. It means being able to see more than ourselves.

Rich is the blessing that abounds if we do it for God's will and no our own glory.