Total Reliance on Jesus

I Did It My Way

Do you carefully discern all your actions? Do you seek Jesus help and grace in every action—every circumstance—every time? Do you rely on Jesus’ spirit and strength to accomplish his will?

At times, I seek this—but not particularly well and certainly not perpetually!

Often I default to a worldly autopilot. Often my actions are nearer mindless reactions than any kind of discernment. Sometimes I want Jesus’ to help me by quite worldly means to do my own will dressed up as his will. Often I rely on my own schemes and strength rather than his truth and grace. I pretend to do his work his way while I truly do my work my way. And then I’m scandalized and frustrated that he didn’t help me! That he left me alone to fail. That all my work and time was wasted!

Maybe it wasn’t wasted. Maybe I’m just a slow learner. Maybe the lessons will sink in—eventually!

He Must Increase

John the Baptist told us that Jesus must increase, and he must decrease (Jn 3:30). Christianity has traditionally applied this assertion to all disciples of Jesus. Jesus must increase; we must decrease. Each of us must decrease so that Jesus may increase in us. You and I—we too must decrease so that Jesus may increase. Our desires and preferences must yield to his; our strategies and our way must surrender to his way, the Way.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). We must not rely on our own understanding, our own strategies, our own gifts, our own strength—we must rely on Jesus alone!

Jesus calls us to do his work and reminds us we cannot do his work without him. Indeed, we can do nothing good without him. It is not enough to enthusiastically embrace and share the Gospel; we must lean on Jesus and follow his spiritual promptings every step of the way.

Total Reliance on Jesus

To genuinely rely on Jesus, we must clearly see our own nothingness—our own miserableness—our own hopelessness and helplessness. He is not our helper—we are his. We are not his partners—he is our Lord. He does not need our help—he shares his work with us that we may share in his life. It is always his work his way. With us sustained and vivified moment by moment though him.

We are nothing without Christ. We trust in him alone.

“God does not introduce a soul to a higher spiritual life, nor admit it to deeper intimacy with himself, as long as it is not completely despoiled of all confidence in itself. The failures which follow, the falls, the fruitlessness of its works—all reveal its insufficiency; and the more a soul insists upon trust in itself, so much the more will the Lord prolong this experience of its nothingness” (Divine Intimacy, Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, 319)

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AUTHOR’S NOTE:

This spruced up journal entry was originally written in July, 2019. I have more recently found greater success at living moment by moment with the Lord. Sometimes we need to be ready; sometimes the Lord needs to see we’re ready; sometimes a timely book helps us. The Lost Art of Sacrifice by Vicki Burbach has helped me more consistently offer up my difficulties as a sacrifice to the Lord—more consistently make everything a gift of love to God and others. This has led to greater peace and a more perpetual leaning on the Lord. The Lost Art of Sacrifice is listed in our recommended reading.

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