June 22, 2010 7:37 AM
Elisabeth Elliot on spiritual maturity
Spiritual Playpens
Love is the way to maturity. Selfishness stunts growth and keeps us in a spiritual playpen. The world is full of emotional babies, crawling over each other, screaming, "Mine! This I want, and this I shall have, and never mind what it does to anybody else!" What a relief, what peace, when one who has reached spiritual adulthood, who by love has grown out of himself, comes along. He freely gives up his own aims and ambitions, his safety and his cherished plans, his possessions, his feelings, anything at all that will help and says my life for yours. Such a one comes as a rescuer.
To give myself up is the last thing I think of doing. It looks like weakness. In God's eyes, though, it is power.
"We who share His weakness shall by the power of God live with Him in your service" (2 Cor 13:4 NEB).
As always, I'd like to encourage you to include Elisabeth Elliot in your morning reading. She gives you a lot to think about during the day. Subscribe to her daily devotions here. You can also see a bunch of my favorites here.
Posted in Elisabeth Elliot, Inspiration | Permalink
Comments
I can just hear the shrill "MINE" cry of someone not getting what they want. We live in such a state of abundance and it just makes us want that much more!?!
Posted by: Shawn | June 23, 2010 12:19 AM
