The Ministry of the Inner Life
You are…a royal
priesthood… —1 Peter 2:9
By what right have we
become “a royal priesthood”? It is by the right of the atonement by the Cross
of Christ that this has been accomplished. Are we prepared to purposely
disregard ourselves and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The
continual inner-searching we do in an effort to see if we are what we ought to
be generates a self-centered, sickly type of Christianity, not the vigorous and
simple life of a child of God. Until we get into this right and proper
relationship with God, it is simply a case of our “hanging on by the skin of
our teeth,” although we say, “What a wonderful victory I have!” Yet there is
nothing at all in that which indicates the miracle of redemption. Launch out in
reckless, unrestrained belief that the redemption is complete. Then don’t worry
anymore about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ has said, in essence,
“Pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints of God,
and pray for all men.” Pray with the realization that you are perfect only in
Christ Jesus, not on the basis of this argument: “Oh, Lord, I have done my
best; please hear me now.”
How long is it going
to take God to free us from the unhealthy habit of thinking only about
ourselves? We must get to the point of being sick to death of ourselves, until
there is no longer any surprise at anything God might tell us about ourselves.
We cannot reach and understand the depths of our own meagerness. There is only
one place where we are right with God, and that is in Christ Jesus. Once we are
there, we have to pour out our lives for all we are worth in this ministry of
the inner life.
(Taken
from Oswald Chambers – “My Utmost for His Highest” June 21)