Have A Seat

Even though I've been on the go almost constantly this past week, I've been thinking a lot about sitting. Watchman Nee has been reminding me of so many foundational, yet profound truths this week. I picked up Sit, Walk, Stand the other day, and I can't tell you how glad I am to be reminded to sit.

See, like most Christians, I have made the mistake of trying to "walk in order to be able to sit. Our natural reason says, 'If we do not walk, how can we ever reach the goal? What can we attain without effort? How can we ever get anywhere if we do not move?"

Did you hear what says that? Our natural reason! That's what has me bent over backwards every day trying to accomplish something that has already been finished. Mr. Nee goes on to say,

"If at the outset we try to do anything, we get nothing; if we seek to attain something, we miss EVERYTHING. For Christianity begins not with a big DO, but with a big DONE."

How many times have you tried to "do" your spiritual life instead of realizing that Christ has already done everything there needs to be done. I wrestle every day to let God have control, and to force myself to sit in Him. Sometimes I feel like He has to tie me to the chair just to get me to "sit".

"In walking or standing we expend a great deal of energy, but when we are seated we relax at once, because the strain no longer falls upon our muscles and nerves but upon something outside of ourselves. So also in the spiritual realm, to sit down is simply to rest our whole weight - our load, ourselves, our future, EVERYTHING - upon the Lord. We let him bear the responsibility and cease to carry it ourselves.

"Sitting is an attitude of rest. Something has been finished, work stops, and we sit. It is paradoxical, but true, that we only advance in the Christian life as we learn first of all to sit down."

I'm great at walking, but these days, I'm relearning how to have a seat. Won't you pull up a chair with me?