It is important and necessary that we regularly spend time in purposeful self-examination. We need to take the time to examine our rationales, our pretenses, our masquerades, our motives, our justifications, and our reasoning.
Nevertheless, we must also realize that despite how thorough the examination, no man can remove himself from himself sufficiently to appraise the dark forces at work within. And, let us be honest with ourselves: all mankind suffer from some form of inner-darkness. We live in dark times and we live in a society that is gripped by the darkness of evil. As a consequence of living in it, some of it gets inside us.
The sins within thrive in this darkness. Sin feeds upon the darkness as a hungry predator feeds upon its prey. Being in this darkness, we cannot see ourselves as we really are. We believe we are what we are not and believe we are incapable of doing what we quite clever at perpetrating. We need the light of God to reveal the dark forces at work within us. When we see ourselves as revealed by God, our true character is uncovered. Who we are in the real sense comes to the surface.
In His presence, we discover, sometimes to our great astonishment, how far removed from God we really are. The holiness of God's divinity can find every speck of sin in our lives. Nothing in us escapes God and no man can stand in His presence as a saint. He must stand in his true character, as a sinner saved by grace.
Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareLast month, one of my readers needed a new car.... Read More
It's not always easy to stand in the midst of... Read More
While there are alot of warnings and admonishments regarding what... Read More
The spiritually dead church. Now, I am not talking about... Read More
We often forget that we are human beings first, and... Read More
Imagine for a moment. It's Tuesday night about 7pm. You... Read More
There's nothing new about "the new age" except the attitude... Read More
Eden, the garden of ecstasy is no longer available to... Read More
There is no such thing as a coincidence. Albert Einstein... Read More
We come into this world alone, we experience physical life... Read More
Sounds like a tall order doesn't it? But I think... Read More
Faith is the remarkable force that gives us the empowerment... Read More
I often ask myself this question. Not in the times... Read More
Most of us have heard talk or have read something... Read More
Spirit DancerThe spirit dancer is the card of creative expression.... Read More
There is power in meanings of the old images and... Read More
After 6 years, I left an abusive relationship with an... Read More
I have held numerous teleconference workshops where I help individuals... Read More
If you would like to learn to read tarot cards,... Read More
I am beginning a journey starting tomorrow. I have decided... Read More
"Mama, save me!"My six year old son jumped into my... Read More
This statement sounds incredible. ASK and it shall be given.... Read More
But my God shall supply all your need according to... Read More
There's a lot of talk about angels these days. They're... Read More
Observations from the Town Car... "Home James!"The bulk of driving... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..Michael Shermer speaks with the energy and passion of an... Read More
Existence of God: facts and figures Does God exist?If you... Read More
Why do bad things happen to good people? Surely this... Read More
Matthew 1:1-17The Genealogy of Jesus Christ1 The book of the... Read More
What is success? It probably means different things to different... Read More
Recently, I received a postcard from Ireland. Without reading the... Read More
IS FAITH - NOT VITAMIN C WHAT'S MISSING FROM YOUR... Read More
"There must be a higher love/Without it life is wasted... Read More
Listen to the sound of silence. Enjoy the peace and... Read More
Every month I usually sit down and write an article... Read More
An interesting question that frequently comes up is "Which Gods... Read More
As I sat down today to write this article, I... Read More
In the spring of 2003, I spent three weeks in... Read More
An analysis of Western man's guiding presuppositions, A Review of... Read More
After more than three decades of church ministry, I have... Read More
Iktomi:Another and somewhat longer term correspondent of mine is a... Read More
When King David was old and well advanced in years?... Read More
"Mama, save me!"My six year old son jumped into my... Read More
"What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is... Read More
With those words recorded in Exodus 15:26, God proclaims to... Read More
Did we just overlook the amount of love that God... Read More
It's not exactly a news flash that we live in... Read More
Most of us think of what a wonderful world this... Read More
Good morning beloved,I always feel a need to let people... Read More
Love is mentioned well over 350 times in the Bible.... Read More
Spirituality |