Sincerity

To the One who chooses us to be his,

The one who you choose and call to yourself is so blessed.
With you is found mercy, redemption, assurance, forgiveness;
You have lifted me, a prisoner, out of the pit of sin
   and declared my release from that jail
      not only in the courts of heaven,
      but also in my heart of hearts;
   You have pronounced me "not guilty" simply because I put my trust in you,
      you have made peace between me and yourself
   and you have caused me to enjoy glorious freedom as your child.
Save me from the false hope of thinking I am something when I'm not;
May I never suppose I am in Christ
      unless I see change in my life as a new creation,
   never think I am spiritually reborn
      unless I heed the things of your Spirit,
   never rest satisfied with professions of my belief
      and outward practices and services,
         while my heart is not right with you.
May I measure my sincerity of my faith
   by my fear to offend you,
   my concern to follow your will,
   my willingness to say no to myself.
May nothing cause me to forget of your glory,
   or turn aside from your commands,
   or shake my confidence in your promises,
   or offend you children.
Please don't let my temporary pursuits hurt my spiritual goals
   or the cares of my life make me neglect the one thing that is most needed.
May I not be inattentive to the design of your dealings with me,
   or unaware of your rebukes
   or unresponsive to your calls.
May I learn the holy art of resting in you,
   of being in the world and not of it,
   of structuring everything in my life to be not only consistent with my profession of belief
      but helpful to it.