Loving God 201, Part 5: Fifth Rule of the Spiritual Life

Lion+cub Jesus said the way to be first is to be last; the way to life abundantly is to die to self; and the way to maturity is to become like a little child.

In this episode we examine the Fifth Rule of the Spiritual Life: Let God be Your Father.

One of the greatest challenges in the spiritual life is to surrender our sense of self-sufficiency and to recognize – indeed, embrace – our need for God’s provision in all things.

This is not to diminish our accomplishments or belittle our achievements. God values our creativity and calls us to make our contribution to creation. But we are not loved for what we produce. And no matter how wise or strong we become, we never arrive to the place where we need no grace or mercy.

Rather than resist this – striving (fruitlessly and unnecessarily!) – to prove ourselves to God, we do vastly better to receive the embrace of the Father and rest in his care with thanksgiving.

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