About Christianity and the Christian Faith
Christian Living
- Responding to Criticism November 20, 2009
- God-Centered Anger November 18, 2009
- Critiqued by the Cross November 16, 2009
William Graham Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced cha-vi-jin) is a Florida native and the new pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, a visiting professor of theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, and a grandson of Billy and Ruth Graham. A graduate of Columbia International University (philosophy) and Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Tullian is the author of The Kingdom of God: A Primer on the Christian Life (Banner of Truth), Do I Know God? Finding Certainty in Life’s Most Important Relationship (Multnomah) and Unfashionable: Making a Difference in the World by Being Different (Multnomah, forthcoming April 2009). The author of numerous articles, Tullian is a contributing editor to Leadership Journal. Tullian speaks at conferences throughout the U.S. and his sermons are broadcast daily on the radio program Godward Living.
My friend
In light of the trials I have been facing lately, I cannot think of a prayer that is more fitting, more comforting, more convicting. This prayer is a great reminder that in the end, those who believe that "salvation is of the Lord"-those who love and live the gospel-will be free. It is those who trust God even when they cannot trace him--those who humbly leave all things up to him and who refuse to try and "save" themselves--that will remain standing.
Gracious Father, today is a great day for me to be reminded that "salvation is of the Lord."
You are the one who begins the "good work" of redemption in our lives; You are the one who is carrying it on, even when you're not working according to my timetable and agenda; and You are the one who will bring redemption to completion on the Day Jesus returns to finish making all things new.
This is incredibly good news, as I ponder my own heart and the lives of other people I care about a whole lot. I cannot be my own savior, and neither can I be anyone else's savior. What a relief, but also what a critical truth to remember. This grand affirmation leads me to offer these earnest supplications:
Father, give me the same confidence about your vigilance and faithfulness you gave Paul for the Philippians. Sometimes irritation, worry and fear loom larger in my life than patience, trust and hope. When this happens, I'm pretty worthless as a friend.
Father, teach me how to wrestle in confident prayer for others, like Epaphras wrestled in prayer for the believers in Colossae (Col. 4:12). My tendency is to wrangle emotionally rather than wrestle believingly. This leaves me worn out and it simply frustrates others.
Father, keep me tender enough to engage in my friends' broken stories, but tough enough not to get entangled in "stuff" that has nothing to do with me.
Father, teach me how to wait on you without falling into self-protective passivity or self-validating activity.
Only the gospel is sufficient to help someone like me love others in such redemptive and healthy ways. So I abandon myself to you and your resources, Father, in light of the weight of grace and the Day of Christ.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
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