What is it that a mature Christian can do to help our brothers find the joy and peace in their lives that transform them into the likeness of Christ? The carnal nature of every man wants to rule. We have such difficulty letting go and letting God. By our nature we are fix-it people. Problems and challenges are inescapable and woven into the very fabric of this fallen world. In an age when independence is king, we find it hard to acknowledge that we really can’t do it by ourselves. In addition to all those things, we tend to weigh ourselves down with burdens and responsibilities that are above our pay grade. The reality is that we are limited in correcting all the misery and injustices in the world today.
We need to seek God’s perspective on things and give to Him those things that seem insurmountable. The prophet Isaiah helps us get this into perspective: “The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail” (Is. 58:11).
If we agree that discipleship is fundamental to our faith — and if we also agree that being an effective disciple is not primarily about structure, strategy, institution, or program, but about relationship — then the carnal man needs to be transformed from thinking about the process to thinking about developing caring, loving, and considerate relationships that model and encourage people to seek God’s kingdom.
Taken from The Spiritual Mentor, by Jim Grassi