Today, I spent most of my day trying to write a single blog post. I wanted to write about vampires, werewolves, and what those myths can teach us about fighting off demons, but nothing was coming together. I had a head full of words and I kept struggling to string them together into something coherent, but by the time 5:30 got here, I still hadn't managed and it would be hours before I would have a chance to write again.
On the walk home, it hit me that if I was struggling that hard to write something that should have been so simple for me, maybe the problem was that I wasn't writing about something that God wanted me to write about this week. I was not asking what His will was, I was trying to assert my will; and because I was pursuing my will instead of His, I was failing miserably. That's when I knew what the topic was supposed to be: the difference between spells and prayers.
Many moons ago, back when I was newly "liberated" from the Church, I dabbled in the Wiccan religion. It seemed harmless enough, and the thought of being able to focus on a single rule "An it harm none, love and do as you will," seemed appealing after the virtual laundry list of Catholic rules and regulations. Suddenly, as long as I did things with love, I was free - or so I thought. We even called upon God and Jesus Christ in our spells, so that must make it okay, right?
It took me a few years to begin to see through the pretty sounding words to the underlying truth of them. I saw quite clearly that spells demand in arrogance what prayer requests in humility. The difference between the two isn't the result but how the result is achieved. Witchcraft says to God, "My will be done." God and Jesus Christ are called upon, not with respect for their awesome might or with gratitude for their assistance, but as if they owe you something and are somehow bound to do your bidding. '
Prayer says to God, "Thy will be done." The name of God and the name of Jesus are called upon with respect for the fact that He is the creator of not only the entire universe and all things in it, but of me as well and that if He helps me it is only because of His great love for me and His incredible generosity. He doesn't have to do it. I have no power over Him except that which He gives to me. It respects that I am here to serve His plan and for His purposes, not that He is here to serve me and my purposes.
I could have continued to try and force my will on this article, and it might have gotten done a few days from now, or it might never have gotten done. But when I finally conceded that this blog isn't mine - it's His, and I am just the pen that He uses to write it, suddenly what had taken me all day to try and finish took me all of 15 minutes to write. Praise God, and let His will be done.
On the walk home, it hit me that if I was struggling that hard to write something that should have been so simple for me, maybe the problem was that I wasn't writing about something that God wanted me to write about this week. I was not asking what His will was, I was trying to assert my will; and because I was pursuing my will instead of His, I was failing miserably. That's when I knew what the topic was supposed to be: the difference between spells and prayers.
Many moons ago, back when I was newly "liberated" from the Church, I dabbled in the Wiccan religion. It seemed harmless enough, and the thought of being able to focus on a single rule "An it harm none, love and do as you will," seemed appealing after the virtual laundry list of Catholic rules and regulations. Suddenly, as long as I did things with love, I was free - or so I thought. We even called upon God and Jesus Christ in our spells, so that must make it okay, right?
It took me a few years to begin to see through the pretty sounding words to the underlying truth of them. I saw quite clearly that spells demand in arrogance what prayer requests in humility. The difference between the two isn't the result but how the result is achieved. Witchcraft says to God, "My will be done." God and Jesus Christ are called upon, not with respect for their awesome might or with gratitude for their assistance, but as if they owe you something and are somehow bound to do your bidding. '
Prayer says to God, "Thy will be done." The name of God and the name of Jesus are called upon with respect for the fact that He is the creator of not only the entire universe and all things in it, but of me as well and that if He helps me it is only because of His great love for me and His incredible generosity. He doesn't have to do it. I have no power over Him except that which He gives to me. It respects that I am here to serve His plan and for His purposes, not that He is here to serve me and my purposes.
I could have continued to try and force my will on this article, and it might have gotten done a few days from now, or it might never have gotten done. But when I finally conceded that this blog isn't mine - it's His, and I am just the pen that He uses to write it, suddenly what had taken me all day to try and finish took me all of 15 minutes to write. Praise God, and let His will be done.
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