Sunday, March 8, 2009

Blessed Inconveniences

2 Quotes from the book I'm currently reading by Elisabeth Elliot's A Path Through Suffering; Discovering the Relationship Between God's Mercy and Our Pain.
"We are not often called to great sacrifice, but daily we are presented with the chance to make small ones- a chance to make someone cheerful, a chance to do some small thing to make someone comfortable or contented, a chance to lay down our petty preferences or cherished plans. This probably requires us to relinquish something- our own convenience or comfort, our own free evening, our warm fireside, or even our habitual shyness or reserve or pride. My liberty must be curtailed, bound down, ignored (oh how the world hates this sort of thing! how our own sinful natures hate it!)- for the sake of the liberation of others.
'Every day we experience something of the death of Jesus, so that we may also show the power of the life of Jesus in these bodies of ours.' 2 Cor. 4:10"


"There is a subtle snare in self-improvement programs. We cannot make ourselves holy. But when we surrender ourselves to the Lord, learning day by day to treat all that comes to us with peace of soul and firm conviction that His will governs all, He will see to our growth in grace. He will so govern the events in our lives, down to the smallest detail, as to provide us the conditions which may make us fruitful. It is not for our sake but for the sake of others. The beauty of the flower is not for itself. It offers itself to God's sunshine and rain, gives its fragrance to any who pass by, but it must wither and die before the fruit can be produced.
Faith need never ask, "But what good did this do me?" Faith already knows that everything that happens fits into a pattern for good to those who love God. An inconvenience is always, whether we see it or not, a blessed inconvenience. We may rest in the promise that God is fitting together a good many more things than are any of our business. We need never see 'what good it did', or how a given trouble accomplishes anything. It is peace to leave it with Him, ask only that He do with me anything He wants, anywhere, anytime that God may be glorified."

1 comment:

Shiloh Strang said...

HI Kristi,
I have this book and I have seen Elisabeth Elliott speak on this subject. Very Heavy!!! I know the Lord will bless you as you read this book!
Hope all is well!
In Christ,
Cindy