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 By Rob Des Cotes
[other pieces by Rob Des Cotes]
To be righteous implies being in right relationship to all things. It is what establishes us in life, literally making us stable. Through the sanctifying ministry of the Holy Spirit, Jesus encourages us towards relational righteousness in all areas of our life. He is continually making adjustments in places where we are either over-related or under-related to the life around us.
You don't have to be a close friend with everyone you meet, nor do you have to be passionate about every good cause, but you do have to seek God in order to ensure that you are in right relationship to all He has placed around you.
As an inspiration for prayer, the Jesuit model of the 'Awareness Examen' is something that can easily be applied to our relationships. It is a simple exercise of scanning the particulars of your life and asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to you areas of consolation and desolation in the ways you experience the diverse relationships that connect you to the world. Here's what such an Awareness Examen might look like:
As you seek to be rightly related to all things, take time to consider all the relationships in your life that this presently applies to. In this examen we ask God to first show us His pleasure in terms of the consolations we feel about certain relationships in our lives. Some of the facets we examine can include our relationship:
to God, to the church, to those who love you, to those who don't, to yourself, to your gifts, to your shortcomings, to your appetites, to your sexuality,to your spirituality, ...to your work, to rest to money, to security, to the future, to your past, to your desires to your fears, to your dreams, to your responsibilities, to your life story so far, to this present moment, and so on.
You could add to this list anything else the Holy Spirit brings to mind regarding the consolations you experience in your present relationships.
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In these same areas of your life, consider other relationships where you experience desolation. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you places of disconnection in these same relationships:
to God, to the church, to those who love you, to those who don't, to yourself, and so on.
You could as well add to this list any other areas the Holy Spirit brings to mind regarding the desolations you experience in your present relationships.
Now ask Jesus, in whom all things are held together, to show you what righteousness means as applied to all the relationships of your life. Invite Him to adjust, wherever necessary, any places of disconnection, i.e. any inordinate relationship that He has revealed to you.
And finally, be prepared to participate with the correctives and promptings of the Holy Spirit in seeking, finding and living in right relationship to all areas of your life. The apostle Paul tells that, as much as is possible, we should seek to be at peace with all things (Romans 12:18).
If we continually bring our relationships to Jesus for correction, He promises that He will lead us to righteousness in all matters. In Him, all things will come to fit together as they should.
Rob Des Cotes is a spiritual director and pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He teaches Contemplative Traditions at Trinity Western University, as well as courses on spirituality and the arts at Carey Theological College and Columbia Bible College. Rob also directs Imago Dei (www.imagodeicommunity.ca) a network of faith communities that encourages the practice of prayer and a transforming relationship with God. Rob is a regular contributor to canadianchristianity.com
To obtain 'Higher than I' go to: www.clementspublishing.com
October 2/2007
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