The System

6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6....."The great challenge is, 'Do I know my risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit?" Oswald Chambers

I don't remember who said this, but I have it in my prayer journal. It goes, "We've been taught a system; prayer, church attendance, Bible study, good works. We know Him in a way, but not as the Living God." To echo John 14:6, we know Him in a way, but not as The Way. And we suffer greatly because of it.

The system the unknown author speaks of is real. Most who have come to Him and to His church have been exhorted to do exactly what he says. We're encouraged to pray, be regular in our church attendance, read our Bibles, and do good works as a way of life. All of these are good and all should be lived out, but not as a regimen. Not as a result of living out a daily checklist. We can do all of these consistently and still be living a dry, empty spiritual life. We know Him in a way, but we don't know His way. We don't know Him.

Elsewhere in my journal I've written that in our discipling of people, we need to lead them into the experience of hearing and responding to His voice. The still small voice of His Holy Spirit that dwells within each of His people. Too much of what we call "discipleship" has centered on the system spoken of above. We teach them what they must do in order to be "successful" believers. In the carrying out of it all, we rarely ask ourselves the questions posed by Chambers; do we know, really know our risen Lord? Do we know and live in the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit?

More than anything else, God longs for us to know Him. Intimately, deeply, and in ever growing ways. Systems don't have that as their core value. Consciously or not, they set up a legalistic faith that tells us the way to Him is by doing all the right things and taking the right steps. Rich relationship with and in Him is not the object. Taking all the right steps is. We use all the "tools" for knowing Him, but we never really come to know Him. We've checked all the boxes but there is dry rot in our souls. Our prayers are directed at Him, but too often never lay hold of Him. Our study of His Word yields head knowledge, but that knowledge rarely takes hold of our heart. We do good works, but not from an outflowing of His love, but from a sense of duty that tells us it's what we ought to be doing. All of it is empowered by our flesh and not by His Spirit. We're doing things in His name, but we're not living in the power of His name. The result is often both boredom and burnout in our experience....because we're not experiencing Him.

I've written in my journal this small prayer; "Awaken our hearts Lord. Open our eyes and hearts to all that You are and all that we can be in You." If your faith life has been wrapped up in a system rather than a Person, that simple prayer might be a good place to start. I can guarantee you that it will be answered, so deep is His desire for relationship with You. Would you pray it? What have you got to lose.....other than a system.

Blessings,

Pastor O