I will not have time to do much posting this week. But let me encourage you to read this brief (about 4 pages long) article. It is entitled “Freedom from Quiet Time Guilt: The Rare Beauty of Weakness Christianity”.
Perhaps I will find time to comment later more fully on this article [update: I did–check out the comments!], but for now know that it does an excellent job at exposing the deceitful nature of legalism with regard to spiritual “disciplines”. It is worth reading, re-reading (I plan to do that), and pondering over. I would appreciate it if you all could share your thoughts and impressions of the article. For me, it was encouraging and convicting at the same time.
(HT: Sharper Iron Filings)
Amen and yes! I agree completely with this article. If you are interested a pastor I know preached a great series on Christ Our Assurance. He spoke out of 1 Corinthians where Paul says Christ is our wisdom, righteousness, justification, and something else. But anyways, if you go to sermon audio.com and look for Matthew Hoskinson you will find them. They are excellent.
He discusses this same problem, and relays that almost every morning he gets up and has to realign his heart b/c man’s natural tendency is to read or pray to gain favor with God. But we should read or pray in faith b/c we love God. Anyways! Great post Bob. Enjoy your vacation.
Mathew Sims
It seems that any subject on SharperIron merits a debate on anything related to legalism (Pharasaism). I read the article only once through, and agreed with it, but I’m with Bob in that I’d want to study it out further. I think some of the rancor on SI was done by those who didn’t read it carefully enough to study it thoroughly, and posted nonsensical statements. I think some of the posters on SI were genuinely offended that their ‘duty’ of devotional time was being attacked by the author of this article. We shouldn’t approach our devotional time as a duty, and our relationship with God goes beyond ‘duty’…. whatever happened to love? It seems that guilt is the motivating factor in many believer’s lives rather than love. Guilt sometimes is shrouded in the ‘duties’ of life, but isn’t a noble motivation to maintain a ‘devotional life’ with God. He desires more than that from His elect.
Bob,
I read the article half way through, and enjoyed it. I’m going to read completely and thoroughly later.
I have not read any of the comments at SI, but I’m sure many could misunderstand the author’s intent.
Many Christian’s fail to see their “quiet time” as a time of fellowship with God, rahter, to so many, it has become a daily drudgery. I thought, from, what I read, that the article was refreshing.
Learned a great new definition of prayer reading “Quiet Time Guilt”: Prayer is “an expression of our reliance on God’s ability to accomplish all he has purposed.” That may be a paraphrase, but it’s a great, theocentric perspective on prayer. Frees me from the “laudry list” mentality and may cause me to pause and consider his eternal purpose (not that I’m privy)before I pray to see with the eyes of faith that what I’m about to petition the Father for, or interceed for another about, will be fulfilled and actually be his means to accomplish his purpose! Then, in the case of those requests which are not granted, I’ll be reassured that even though my request was not in accord with his purpose, he does have a purpose and he knows better than I do, in which case, “not my will, but thine be done.”
A very edifying and liberating read.
I appreciate all the comments so far about this article. A few random thoughts jump out at me as I glance through it again, here.
1) Bootstraps. “Sola Bootstrapa” the article said. The image is of one pulling his bootstraps on for himself. Doing it the hard way. I think of the word “grit”. You just need to have “grit” and DO it. Such an approach fails to consider that none of us can “just do it”. We need grace and we need to be explicitly told so. Christianity is not about our determination and will power, but rather of Christ’s abundant grace.
2) Performance. Again I am reminded by the idea that how we perform results in how much God favors us. This is legalism, yet it is so easy to think this way. If I have not done my spiritual duty today (quiet time), then God won’t bless me. If I have, He will. If I have a 2 hour quiet time, I must really be a good Christian. The fact is none of us have the ability in our selves to be anything! We all are bereft of any earned favor with God. We only get what Jesus deserves and that by the mercy and grace of God.
3) Man made rules. Whether it is ourselves or others, we exalt a man made idea above Scripture and then bind ourselves and others with a grievous burden to bear. Sure John Wesley got up at 4am every day, and we should be able to do that too. Or at least something similar. Scripture models devotions but never commands them, as the article aptly details. We should be very careful about elevating a man made concept to a place where we judge others by it.
4) Quiet time. I do not think we should abandon it. I agree that it is merely a good idea. But with our very own Bible, comes a responsibility to avail ourselves of it. I think we should cultivate times where we can read, meditate, and study the Bible; and when we can pray. But the duration and the exact nature of this will fluctuate between different kinds of people and between different kinds of days. We need to be careful not to let a good idea bind us with misplaced guilt. We should be guilty when we consciously disobey God’s laws, not our own. Our hearts should be engaged and we should desire communion with God, enough to make a quiet time or whatever means we use to pursue that communion. But ultimately it is about God and Him not about our checking off a spiritual duty box for the day, so that we might continue to be holy.
I hope the article is a blessing to us all and challenges us to evaluate our relationship with God. It is convicting because it is so easy to focus on keeping up with the “thru the Bible in one year” guide, that we forget the God of the Bible. It is easy to make it through our daily prayer list but forget to commune with the God of prayer.
Thanks to all for the comments, and God bless as we all pursue Him more fully and passionately.
I just found your blog and am enjoying it. I was raised Arminian and i’m finding so much joy in the Reformed. Blessings! Alice
Thanks, Alice. God bless you as well.
Bob Hayton
This article reminded me of my college days, and involvement in the Navigators campus ministry. The “Sola Bootstrapa” mentality was rampant in the mindset of its leadership. Most people were, in one form or another, measured on the basis of the quality and consistency of their “quiet time” routine. I can think of many, including myself, who would have benefited from reading this back then.
If I didn’t get my quiet time in before classes, I would have to try to get it in at some point later in the day, or I would feel like I had “blown off God” that day.