Saturday 23 June 2012

Gathered Jewels: Oswald Chambers on The Peril Within

"Jesus did not commit Himself unto them for He knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25)

"To be undeceived by disillusionment may leave us cynical and unkindly severe in our judgment of others, but the disillusionment which comes from God brings us to the place where we see men and women as they really are, and yet there is no cynicism, we have no stinging, bitter things to say. Many of the cruel things in life spring from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts; we are true only to our ideas of one another. Everything is either delightful and fine, or mean and dastardly, according to our idea.
The refusal to be disillusioned is the cause of much of the suffering in human life. It works in this way - if we love a human being and do not love God, we demand of him every perfection and every rectitude, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; we are demanding of a human being that which he or she cannot give. There is only one Being Who can satisfy the last aching abyss of the human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Why Our Lord is apparently so severe regarding every human relationship is because He knows that every relationship not based on loyalty to Himself will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no man, yet He was never suspicious, never bitter. Our Lord's confidence in God and in what His grace could do for any man, was so perfect that He despaired of no one. If our trust is placed in human beings, we shall end in despairing of everyone." (Oswald Chambers)

"Love suffers long, and is kind..." (1Corinthians 13:4)

"For Christ's love compels us..." (2Corinthians 5:14)

"The great peril is the peril within, which people never think of as a peril. My right to myself, self- pity, self - conceit, consideration for my progress , my ways of looking at things, those things are satanic perils which will keep us in perfect sympathy with Satan."  (Oswald Chambers)

1 comment:

Robert said...

I always appreciate and am moved by your heart and all you share jennypo sweet sister.I agree with you-love is stronger than death or hate or anything else. Sometimes it is so hard to hold on to that though. Take a peek at my place if you get a chance. I always enjoy your comments. I look ahead to reading more of your journey as you share it.