Of goats and sheep, the goats He will reject.
So sanctify work; work but not harder.
His will and mine aligned - hearts work faster;
This lie is that we must do more and more
Is from this world’s banished prince the devil!
Lord, Savior, you called me to be a saint.
Smooth paths are for the sinner not the saint.
False notions and potentials I reject,
That I’ve sinned too greatly; from the devil.
Like dried, sun baked clay I make it harder:
My morning prayers; I must do ten more;
Poor urge to post one last, to post faster.
God did not ask that we move all faster,
A life of love like Christ’s is for the saint.
That I don’t fast enough; that I need more,
Like a cancer the soul does reject.
That it is not easier but harder,
This fallen nature is from the devil.
Envy is one demon of the devil;
To return calm and joy, peace comes faster.
To stay and pray, evil must try harder.
Through sting and hurt; just to love like a saint.
Christ the King; He came to save not reject;
Heaven found, faith and hope will be no more.
Burnout begins because what bears is more
Hate filled; I have become like the devil.
To choose in freedom, accept or reject:
A long bearded goat does not grow faster;
Fed to the lions, both martyr and saint.
To win this race run wiser, pray harder.
If His good doctrine makes armor harder,
Then orthodoxy is not less but more.
“He did rise up!” proclaims saint after saint;
“Tempted without ease!” admits the devil.
With the growth of the tree’s fruit now faster;
Three, steel strand cables, wound, wont reject.
I reject with joy that all must be harder,
The “faster” allure and promise of more:
Devil ploys; cools not the love of the saint.
- Gary Edward Geraci
-
Author:
Gary Edward Geraci (
Offline) - Published: January 21st, 2018 10:31
- Comment from author about the poem: Fellow poets of mine here, those of you whom write in traditional form from time to time, will recognize that I wrote “One In the Same Flock”in a form called a “Sestina.” Enjoy!
- Category: Religion
- Views: 59
- User favorite of this poem: Heather T.
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Comments2
A fine write Gary. Yes, a going on gradually, plodding on maybe some days. I reckon the 'try harder' and 'go faster' are linked to man's efforts to try to earn their own salvation, or trying to earn part of it. It can't be done though.
It's like trying to jump an uncompleted bridge. Whether the bridge is 50% or 99% completed, we still fall in the river by our own efforts.
Thank you Orchidee. Yes, I agree. God acts first in our lives by His grace. Then a spirit of gratitude and love compels us to organize apostolic efforts in His name. Because we’re mere mortals, we often confuse these Kingdom building efforts with our secular, work efforts, working feverishly and burning ourselves out in the process. It’s great that Christ calls us to missionary work and even better that he charges us with the simplest of tasks: that of a simple seed thrower. God will do all of “the heavy lifting.”
LOL! That puts us in good company Hood; with Pope Francis too; he puts himself in the “goat” category as well: asking for
ongoing prayers; referring to himself as a sinner.
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