This is one of the famous prayers of St Augustine he used to pray during his “difficult?” times when he was “enjoying life”. I love how honest it is. Lord, make me holy – but not yet.
And the funniest thing is that this prayer was heard and that Augustine became chaste. What is more, he kept this openness later on when he said: “Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation.“
I can see this in my day-to-day life – with food, when it’s easier to eat nothing for the whole day than to have just one bite of chocolate and don’t end up eating it all. So it is with laziness, work, shopping, money, sex…
And for some reason I cannot find the courage in me to ask for moderation. I know many people who are extremely “moderate” in these things and I just quietly admire them.
For me, it’s so much easier to be a total abstinent, as that is what can be honoured. You have been working so hard, you don’t spend any money… And they somehow please me. So again, I am just looking for myself – in everything. I don’t realise that just moderation is “healthy” and that it actually deserves more appreciation than abstinence.
Lord, please, teach me how to be moderate in these every day things. How to use them so that I am not looking for my own praise, but for your glory. Hm, and you know what? Give it to me, but not yet…
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abhi said,
May 26, 2011 at 4:36 am
“Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation.“
could not agree more.
Molly said,
June 8, 2011 at 1:14 pm
thank you for this little entry. I know that I consider life in one extreme or the other, and the middle ground becomes my stumbling place. I know God brought this to my attention for a reason lol- Thanks again
growholy said,
June 9, 2011 at 4:11 am
Thanks, Molly, I guess your comment is going to motivate me to start blogging again after a good few months break. Thanks for that!