Thursday, April 20, 2017

Lenten Journey- Holy Week Wednesday- Struggle


When all is said and done, the life of faith is nothing if not an unending struggle of the spirit with every available weapon against the flesh.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Nothing that Bonhoeffer did was easy. It was a time of fear and evil. He struggled often with what he as an individual could do. The spirit may be willing, as we often quote, but the flesh is weak. Or rather the flesh wants to take an easier, softer way. There has to be such a way, doesn’t there? I don’t have to REALLY follow Jesus THAT much, do I.

Holy Week reminds me that this struggle was real for Jesus- he even prayed that it be taken away from him if that was God’s will. But in the end, he admitted that he was there to do God’s will. The struggle is often in making that admission and in so doing, moving the struggle to the back burner and allowing the power of God to strengthen me to do God’s will. In mid-Holy Week then, I simply name the struggles- and become willing to listen for the answers.
  • The struggle of getting off the train of injustice or away from the path of evil.
  • The struggle of being honest with myself abut my shortcomings.
  • The struggle to be willing to do the work and will of my Higher Power.
  • The struggle to keep fresh and focused when it never seems to end.
  • The struggle to be a bringer of light into darkness.
Why, my soul, are you downcast? 
Why so disturbed within me? 
Put your hope in God, 
for I will yet praise him, 
my Savior and my God.

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