Required to Fight

“While there is left in you a trace of ill temper, or of vanity, of pride, or of selfishness; while there is left in you a single sin, or germ of sin, you must not rest from the battle.

God does not require from you to be sinless when you come before Him, but He does require you to be unceasing in your perseverance. He does not require that you shall never have fallen, but He does require unwearied efforts.

He does not require you to win, but He does require you to fight.“

–Frederick Temple (1821 – 1902)

Midweek Meditation: Aging Saints and Paradigm Shifts

Several years ago I heard a pastor use the quote, “Doing the same thing over and over again in the same way, and expecting different results, is the definition of insanity.” And although I’ve found tracking down its original author to be hopeless, I have found  plenty of appropriate times to apply the quotation.

However, upon reflection, I think ‘insanity‘ may be too strong a word.  Call it foolishness instead. For instance, I’ve pointed out to piano students that practicing the same  phrase over and over in the same way (i.e., without stopping to correct the mistake) and expecting to be able to play it correctly, is foolish.