Ten signs of self effort

Someone asked me Sunday after the sermon, “How do I know when I am using self effort instead of working in the power of Christ?” That is a great question. I actually had a list before I cut it out of an already long sermon. So here is my list of possible ways to tell if you are living out of self effort. Before I jump into my list just remember we are wired to self effort as a duck is wired for water, or as Tim Keller likes to say, “We still believe we are living under the covenant of works rather than the covenant of grace.”

So here goes, ten signs you might being living out of self effort.

1- You act first and pray second. Prayer is a second thought. “Oh Lord, I guess I should have asked
you first but here is what I did. Bless it, please!” (finish with your best sheepish grin)
2- You have a lot of ownership in your action. You are devastated when it fails and you are very proud if it succeeds.
3- You find yourself very anxious about the details of life, friends, money, whether something is “successful” or not. Frustrated with your inability to control all of the little things of life.
4- You find yourself laboring under and unlimited sense of obligation. You have a hard time laying down issues or problems that were not yours to pick up in the first place. And you have a difficult time discerning the difference between the two.
5- You find yourself like a man with a sword. If a particular move doesn’t work you think that the same move only swinging harder will work. Putting more energy into an action that didn’t work the first time surely will work the second time.
6- You find yourself cursing more in your head (or out loud) than giving thanks to God.
7- You have an overpowering need to list your accomplishments or what you did right in any given situation. You have a very poor ability to assess your actions and motives.
8- You find yourself not very flexible or teachable in a given situation.
9- You find yourself under almost satanic temptation during periods of difficult effort. You cannot say, “no” to yourself. It is almost as if you feel entitled to sin, because you’ve been so good.
10- You lack a real passion for God, life and grace. When others talk about God and His grace you find yourself being cynical or bitter.

So what do you do when find yourself living out of self effort? Admit it. Stop pretending and acknowledge it to God and let Him pour out his love on you which He poured out in Jesus His Son. Receive that blessed forgiveness and grace. Know that you are perfectly free without any obligation to anyone but God in His wonderful love and grace. Pray without ceasing as you embark on a new journey of reliance upon God.