December 30

‘All my fresh springs shall be in thee.’ Psalm 87:7

                It is a prideful error to put confidence in our natural virtues after being born again into Jesus Christ. Natural virtues will never be to God’s standard. Rather, when we are born again, God remakes us and allows us to have our virtues shaped according to His design.

                According to Oswald Chambers, natural virtue is an accident of heredity. While our natural virtues may be admirable, they can never come close to God’s standard without Him as a driving force. We must give up the pride that we associate with our own virtue and allow God to mold us as a potter molds the clay.

                This being said, it is a disconcerting feeling to lose confidence in our natural virtues. This part of growth, a lack of confidence in our own natural ability, is the recognition, in us, of our natural inadequacy. Rather than being distraught by this when it occurs, be joyous that God is at work in you. Allow yourself to maintain humility. In so doing, you will grow and be shaped into the virtues that God desires for work in His kingdom.