Constructive Action

Hebrews 9:23-26

It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. (NIV)

“But he will be curious to learn why his own convictions have not worked and why yours seem to work so well. He may be an example of the truth that faith alone is insufficient. To be vital, faith must be accompanied by self sacrifice and unselfish, constructive action.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, page 93)

Faith alone.
Yep, tried that.
Didn’t work so well.
And was it self-sacrifice
I lacked?
Unselfishness?
Constructive action?
I sacrificed myself for everybody,
trying to please, trying to win
affection.
Unselfishness? I had no self
exposed, had merged myself
in someone else,
his thoughts, his feeling,
his will.
Constructive action?
Certainly action.
But not unselfish, not other-centered —
not constructive.

God, reconstruct me
so I can find myself in self-sacrifice,
unselfishness, constructive action.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.