thoughtful
It is important to realize that God is the "author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2 NKJv), which means that we must come to Him for even the desire to follow and obey, not to mention the power. It is not a matter of willpower but of God's ability to save us in every way. With that in mind, make it a priority to seek God specifically about your reception of this material on a weekly, if not daily, basis. As Psalm 119:18 says, "I must ask God to open my eyes to His truth." Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. (The Foundation Stones, p. 15)
I struggle with this a lot, even condemning myself for my lack of desire to follow Him. And if I don't have desire, how will reading the Bible give me desire? It won't--not by itself. But if I am reading and praying that God will give me desire... Won't He answer by giving what I ask for?
Three things must happen for truth to become real in my everyday life, discussed on p. 17.:
- It is revealed to me.
- It transforms the way I think.
- I begin to act upon it. (Theology meets reality.)
The only truths that will eventually grip me at the core of my being are the truths by which I consistently live. (The Foundation Stones, p. 19)
That's a pretty powerful statement. I understand the concept that the way I act becomes the truth that manifests in my life--even if it is really a lie that I have believed. The hardest thing for me to do is to act opposite to the lies that have been controlling me for so long. I want to, but the lie is still there, interfering with my work toward living the truth. But if I want the truth to control my life, I do have to persevere through the lies.
