Help
With Your Rule
Struggling with Legalism
Dear Holly,
Do you ever struggle with legalism in using your Rule? I can imagine that offering everything for the love of God is a terrific antidote to legalistic tendencies, but I know myself well enough to know that this will be an issue for me.
Labels: 2nd P Person
posted by Holly at 10:29 AM
1 Comments:
Yes, from time to time I have struggled with legalism - and it is a struggle to not let it overtake me at times. A sure sign is if I get tense with the kids at chore time. But as a 'rule', I don't struggle with this too often - it was mostly at first. :-)
When I went through this, I usually pulled out my 'Heart of My Mother's Rule" and tried to focus on the spirit of it all. And I took it moment by moment, trying to consciously decide what God's intent was for me at that present moment. And if I looked back at the end of the day and thought "I didn't do so well", I reasoned with myself and said "Hey, every moment, you tried to follow your lights - can't do more than that."
And then I let it go.
My spiritual director has also been helpful in this regard by reminding me the rule is a tool, not a tyrant. And Mother Teresa said it was the 'spirit' of the rule which is more important - very much so in family life when you are working with children and husband...
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