John 11: 47-48
This is one thing that the Pharisees were right about.
Presence with Jesus grows belief in Jesus.
When you are around Jesus and people who are transformed by Jesus, it conceives belief in you, and that believes fills you and eventually, through much labor, the new self is born (or continues to be born from you/in you).
Our work is presence. Abiding. Space. Listening. I have seen many people step away from the practice of faith because it seemed like a non-ending chore list, instead of simply being present. God does the work. We are open and released to what God is about in us.
I repeat: You need make no effort to grow. Concentrate your efforts on abiding in the Vine. The vindedresser who cares for the Vine will care of its branches also. [God] will prune, water, and cultivate the so that they will grow and bring forth much fruit.
--Hannah Whitall Smith
1 comment:
i am commenting on my own post:
what i mean by the new self is born by much labor--is that our spiritual selves birth the new self through the work and labor of God in us, not own selves doing the work. we feel the effects of the labor, and stay open and present to God, but we can't make the new self be born by our own labor. we can't decide to give birth to the new self, God in us does it.
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