10 July
I Will Make You Perfect
He warned people to 'count the cost' before becoming Christians. 'Make no mistake,' He says, 'if you let me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands, that is what you are in for. Nothing less, or other, than that. You have free will, and if you choose, you can push Me away. But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest, until you are literally perfect—until my Father can say without reservation that He is will pleased with you, as he said he was well pleased with me. This I can do and will do. but I will not do anything less.'
And yet—this is the other and equally important side of it—this Helper who will, in the long run, be satisfied with nothing less than absolute perfection, will also be delighted with the first feeble, stumbling effort you make tomorrow to do the simplest duty. As a great Christian writer (George MacDonald) pointed out, every father is pleased at the baby's first attempt to walk: no father would be satisfied with anything less than a firm, free, manly walk in a grown-up son. In the same way, he said, 'God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy.'
—from Mere Christianity
Compiled in A Year with C.S. Lewis
Mere Christianity. Copyright © 1952, C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. Copyright renewed © 1980, C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers. A Year With C.S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works. Copyright © 2003 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
July 10
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight (15:8).
There was a man who came out to church only on Easter. He felt that it "looked good" to put in an occasional appearance. He wanted people to think well of him, and to know that he supported his church. Each year he made a big gift to the church, making sure that many key people were aware of the large amount. He bragged of his support, and how much it meant to the church. Whenever he was asked to serve the church in any way, however, he couldn't find the time. Only when it was advantageous for him to be associated with the church would he consider it. His connection with the church was purely public relations.
Scripture says that God loves the cheerful giver, but He wants the giver to be sincere also. Financial contributions are always important, but they are not nearly as important as the gift of self which each person should give. We are to give ourselves body, mind, and spirit to the work of Christ's church. Anything less is not good enough. The gift given for the wrong reasons is an abomination to the Lord. The gift of the upright, rightly given, is a true joy to the Lord, and it is His delight.
prayer: O Lord, take my life and consecrate it to your service. Take not only my gifts, but also my talents and resources as instruments for your ministry. Guide me in the ways that I can best serve you, and grant me the wisdom to know where you want me to go. Amen.