Keeping short accounts with God

Keeping short accounts with God

February 2013

This little phrase was thrown out by Alan W at some point during a service at APC recently. It certainly wasn't relevant to the subsequent sermon, but it struck a chord and stuck with me and as my mind has periodically returned to it for a few weeks, it feels significant and is worth adding to the blog.

Now my trade is money, finance and that sort of thing, and maybe its because I have seen the misery so many people suffer through debt that I am what you could call debt adverse. My desire to clear my debts can extend to slightly silly proportions, I clear personal loans early, I overpay my mortgage and I even have been known to pay off my credit card before the bill arrives.

Nothing wrong with this I hear you say, but Alan's off the cuff comment intrigued me. I keep very short accounts with money but maybe this is a practice I should explore with God?

Keeping short accounts suggests a concept of spiritual assets and liabilities - and that I am indebted to God. Of course, this is absolutely true - God saved me by Grace and this has nothing to do with my behaviour which justifies only condemnation. Even on my best days I fall far short of the standard God expects and to be forgiven by God means I am in his debt - big time.

I know that God forgave me all my wrongdoing when I first became a Christian many years ago but what of the things I have done wrong since then. The scales have to weigh heavily against me and I must have forgotten far more sin than I ever asked forgiveness for. But God saved me once and for all - it wasn't a clean slate "but one slip up laddie and you are doomed" arrangement. Gods Grace was unlimited at the start of my walk with him and remains unlimited.

So what about the idea of short accounts?

My conclusion is that my salvation has always been assured, but the closeness of my walk with God has varied enormously. Its not that God has deserted me but rather that I have wandered off into the long grass and in some areas lost my way. And as the gap builds I find it harder and harder to re-approach God for forgiveness - as my debts have mounted I have been avoiding the bank manager!

The really good news is that Gods grace is boundless. I stand up above the long grass, see God on his path and he just welcomes me back like the prodigal returning to the father. I was and remain forgiven - that is fantastic news. Not that Gods grace it to be taken for granted - I have lost out during my time in the outfield and my challenge is to prevent the space between myself and God reoccurring. Part of the solution is to keep short accounts with my God - confessing sins as they happen, conversing regularly and being open to his prompting. 

I accept that I will run up debts on my spiritual credit card all the days of my life, but with Gods help the spending will slow and repayment will be achieved with regular small deposits of Grace.

Introduction

So what is this blog about?
December 2012

A few years ago I made a resolution. 

This resolution was to indulge my curiosity a bit more, to spend a bit more time exploring the things which interest me.

This approach led to the development of what has become a widely read Blog about the Inland Waterways and the development of a huge network of like minded friends. But boating is just one aspect of my life and the other enduring theme within my life has been my Christian faith.

I grew up in a church family and over the years have experienced a wide cross section of the Christian faith. But far from gaining greater certainty the years have have thrown up more questions than answers. Whereas everything seemed so black and white in my teens, it  now comes in many shades of grey.

If the core messages of the Christian faith are true, and I believe that this is the case, then there can be no more important task in life than to explore its claims and implications.

Too many of my contemporaries seem to have faltered over the years and as a wise friend observed, its all too easy to confuse a disenchantment with the organised church with a loss of faith.

Somewhat to my surprise I find myself on the wrong side of 50 and facing yet another new chapter in my life. Time to take stock of this faith which has been a key part of my life for so many years - time to reflect on aspects of this faith which will roll out as subject matters capture my imagination.
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