Patricia Hofer

We must say with Jesus Christ, “I can do nothing on my own”

Please, Lord,
Cleanse my sad heart with your spirit;
Light it, fill it with your peace.
So when you speak, I can hear it—
Selfish distractions all cease. (©️ 2016)

“God knows your hearts,” Jesus says (Luke 16:15). The Father knows the person inside, the one we really are. And so, when Jesus refers to our “heart” in his teaching, the Lord is appealing to and talking to our inside conscious self. Which is why it is so important to realize that Christ also lives in our heart. His is the Spirit that can govern what we do and what we think. His is the light that floods and cleanses our heart, pushing out the selfish clutter that the natural life builds up. When we get out of the way, when we surrender, the Lord makes us better at being who we truly are. Jesus yielded to his Father when he said, “I can do nothing on my own” (NRSV John 5:30). And that is true for us as well. (Living Calm, chapter 57)

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