"scribblings and bibblings"

this isn't fully developed yet, but i'm going to try to briefly yet successfully articulate this: (at 4:17am)

two mondays ago, in some context, i said to chenise: "christians try to live by willpower, instead of expecting sanctification."

you know, sometimes you don't really know something until you say it out loud . . . man, i think i hit the nail on the head. steve (osmond, this time) then preached on galatians 3:

you foolish galatians! who has bewitched you? before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. i would like to learn just one thing from you: did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?

are you so foolish? after beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

have you suffered so much for nothing - if it really was for nothing? does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

word. after beginning with the Spirit, am i now trying to attain my goal by human effort.

look, dr. phil isn't a genius or anything but one of his main slogans is "will power does not work". stole this from his website (which, for the record, i just went to for the first time, in search of a good quote :P)

program your life with a strategy
willpower is a myth. it's emotionally powered, and emotions are fickle. wanting to do something - no matter how badly you want it - won't make it happen. you need a plan and you need to change something in your lifestyle. realistically assess the obstacles and resources involved, and create a strategy for navigating that reality. your environment, your schedule and your accountability must be programmed in such a way that all three support you. life is full of temptations and opportunities to fail. without programming, you will find it much harder to stay the course.

i seriously love this man. it takes smarts and it takes God to change. sheer willpower won't work.

this has been perculating in my mind for a while, so i'm sure i'll return to it later. wanted to throw it out there, even in this infancy stage, because it seems to me that a lot of Christians may be very tired of trying to be holy.