The Strange Struggle

‘The Valley of Vision’ is a collection of Puritan prayers that I’ve been using in my devotions.  The prayer I used today expresses so well the strange struggle believers wrestle with: as one grows in Christ, he/she becomes more aware of his/her sinfulness.  Isn’t that stange?  One would think that after being a believer for many years there would actually be less sin to repent of!  Such a mindset reveals a misunderstanding  of our own sin & robs us of influences that should drive us to Christ.

But this strange struggle we face is a pain we should truly welcome.  For as one’s awareness of his/her sin deepens so does his/her appreciation of the cross and the grace of Christ that sustains us and gives us strength to combat sin.  The often used quote should not lose its impact on us: he has not thought much of grace who thinks little of sin.

 As the Puritan prayer so aptly states:

“The memory of my great sins, my many temptations, my falls,

   bring afresh into my mind the remembrance

       of thy great help, of thy support from heaven,

       of the great grace that saved such a wretch as I am.

There is no treasure so wonderful

   as that continuous experience of thy grace toward me

       which alone can subdue the risings of sin within:

Give me more of it.”