This Made Me Say "Ouch"

I think I am looking forward to attending the Festival of Homiletics in May, because lately I've been reading about great sermons and great preachers.

Leonard Ravenhill said, “No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. … We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.”

I tend to be one of those who works to avoid failure rather than to gain success. I think I need some tweaking in that area. Nonetheless, that last line struck me rather powerfully. I think there is nothing more important in this world than being a person who is willing to agonize, pray, cling, wrestle, shed tears, live with passion, intercede, and fight for what is right and true and of lasting value.

Help me, God! I do not want to live as less than you created and called me to be!