Are You Ready For a Spiritual Pity Party? Watch Out For the Worms!

August, 2004

by: Walt Bertelsen

“Fear not… for your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name…” (Isa. 54:4,5)

Most of us enjoy a good pity party on occasion. You know the “pity ditty”: “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I'll eat some worms…”

There are a number of men (and women) at Calvary right now who are suddenly coming alive to the fact that they need to grow in Christ, to be “discipled.” The problem is that there aren't yet enough disciplers. I've called this a “good problem.” However, those who aren't seeing some discipler coming into their lives will likely disagree.

If you are in this position, you may feel that, somehow, you've been cheated spiritually. (That's code for thinking that God has dumped or deserted you). You're ready to wallow in self–pity. You know that I'll tell you to repent. I will — but I also need to tell you something else. You know that God in Christ will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). You are not the exception.

I also need to tell you that your growth does not depend on some spiritual person coming alongside to guide you. Your growth in Christ depends on: 1) the grace of God; and 2) the grace of God (the repetition is intentional).

We know that we are saved by grace. We don't even come up with faith on our own. When the grace of God appeared to you, you received it — you recognized your need and you appropriated it by repentance and faith.

Growth in Christ (the essential objective of discipleship) also comes by grace. You stand clean before God by His grace (in the righteousness and holiness of Christ). And now you grow by his power. (Jerry Bridges calls Christ's righteousness and power the “bookends” of the Christian life). We grow by doing what Paul wrote Timothy: “train yourself for the purpose of godliness… [which] is profitable for all things” (1 Tim. 4:7,8).

Our growth is not a passive thing where we simply wait on God to change us. Growth is natural. People grow. Trees grow. But a tree cannot go out and get the water. You are not a tree. God is certainly working in us to will — and also to do (Phil 2:13). So growth must be intentional. (Genuine intention, like faith, works). You are to be disciplining yourself for godliness (a more inclusive term than holiness; godliness means “Godlikeness,” and is synonymous with “Christ–likeness”). You need to be doing something about it, not waiting for someone to do it for you. How do you get there from here? More on this next time. For now, begin by following hard after God. Keep the objective clear. Devour the Word. Ask questions. Remember what grace teaches (Titus 2:11-14).

You may feel alone at times (or even deserted). But God never leaves us alone. We are the Bride of Christ, the Lord is our shepherd, our teacher, our husband. (See above, Isa. 54:4,5). Don't pity yourself when God doesn't do for you what you think He should. To think that way is to swallow a lie from the pit, “where the worm does not die.”