God Helps Those Who Help Themselves??
This morning I received an e-mail with the subject, "New Year, New You!" from a Christian retailer. Inside, the e-mail asked, "Wouldn't it be wonderful to look back and say '2007 was the year He made all things new'?"
Wow, that would be great. Now the sales pitch: "With motivational books, exercise music, devotionals, daily Bibles, and God on your side you can."
And, of course, the rest of the e-mail is an ad for diet books, exercise books, various one-year Bibles (packaged just for your particular need/want, of course!), and how-to-get-organized or how-to-manage-your-money books.
Look. It's real simple.
Either it's God who makes all things new OR it's you who makes yourself new with God alongside to help.
I'll take the former. After all, "it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."
And if I take the former then what's needed is not more spit and polish (with all due respect to Admiral Boom ***), self-help books, diets and exercise routines. What's needed is to let God work according to the means He chooses to work: His Word, prayer, the sacraments, and the accountability, discipline and fellowship of being among His people in a good, solid church.
Oh, but that doesn't sell many books....
---
***
Mary Poppins: Now, let me see. First of all, we must go to the piano tuners. And then we go to Mrs. Cory's sh-- Mrs. Cory's shop for some gingerbread.
Jane: Ah, gingerbread!
Mary Poppins: And then we go to the fishmonger's, I think, for a nice dover sole and a pint of prawns. Uh, Michael, stop stravaging along behind.
Admiral Boom: Ahoy, there! Ahoy! Good day to you!
Mary Poppins: Good morning, Admiral.
Admiral Boom: Michael, what fine adventure are we off upon today? Going to fight the Hottentots? Dig for buried treasure?
Michael: We're going to buy some fish.
Admiral Boom: Very good! Proceed at flank speed.
Michael: Aye, aye, sir.
Admiral Boom: Let's put our backs into it, lad. More spit and polish. That's what's wanted around here.
Wow, that would be great. Now the sales pitch: "With motivational books, exercise music, devotionals, daily Bibles, and God on your side you can."
And, of course, the rest of the e-mail is an ad for diet books, exercise books, various one-year Bibles (packaged just for your particular need/want, of course!), and how-to-get-organized or how-to-manage-your-money books.
Look. It's real simple.
Either it's God who makes all things new OR it's you who makes yourself new with God alongside to help.
I'll take the former. After all, "it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."
And if I take the former then what's needed is not more spit and polish (with all due respect to Admiral Boom ***), self-help books, diets and exercise routines. What's needed is to let God work according to the means He chooses to work: His Word, prayer, the sacraments, and the accountability, discipline and fellowship of being among His people in a good, solid church.
Oh, but that doesn't sell many books....
---
***
Mary Poppins: Now, let me see. First of all, we must go to the piano tuners. And then we go to Mrs. Cory's sh-- Mrs. Cory's shop for some gingerbread.
Jane: Ah, gingerbread!
Mary Poppins: And then we go to the fishmonger's, I think, for a nice dover sole and a pint of prawns. Uh, Michael, stop stravaging along behind.
Admiral Boom: Ahoy, there! Ahoy! Good day to you!
Mary Poppins: Good morning, Admiral.
Admiral Boom: Michael, what fine adventure are we off upon today? Going to fight the Hottentots? Dig for buried treasure?
Michael: We're going to buy some fish.
Admiral Boom: Very good! Proceed at flank speed.
Michael: Aye, aye, sir.
Admiral Boom: Let's put our backs into it, lad. More spit and polish. That's what's wanted around here.
