Of 'isness' and 'oughtness'

" But we do not have to think that human nature is perfect for us to still believe that the human condition can be perfected. We do not have to live in an idealized world to still reach for those ideals that will make it a better place. The non-violence practiced by men like Gandhi and King may not have been practical or possible in every circumstance, but the love that they preached -- their fundamental faith in human progress -- that must always be the North Star that guides us on our journey....

As Dr. King said at this occasion so many years ago, "I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the 'isness' of man's present condition makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal 'oughtness' that forever confronts him."

Let us reach for the world that ought to be -- that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls." President Obama - Nobel Peace Prize speech 2009

"I refuse to accept the idea that the 'isness' of man's present condition makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal 'oughtness' that forever confronts him."

The 'isness' and 'oughtness' of life.

Very often, we cope with what our present situation 'is' in life...our job, our lot, our circumstances and our own fallen nature... but deep in our hearts we long for what 'ought to be'.

Things ought to be better.

Life ought to be better.

I ought to be better.


In light of that, I was led today to a passage that I have always struggled to understand which is in Romans 8:26:
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."


I struggled to understand two things about it. What does 'In the same way' mean? and why does it have to be 'groans'?


Obviously, to understand 'In the same way' I need to go back to the preceding verses of Romans 8.

Which says:

" 18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."


Ok, so what does "in the same way mean"?

A quick glance again at verses 18-25 would reveal a few things. It is talking about the situation we are in now, and the situation we long to be in (verses 19-21). We are frustrated, heading towards decay but we long to be in the glorius freedom of the children of God. In other words, we feel the pain of what 'is', because we long for what 'ought to be'.

Very often, we long for a change in our circumstances from what is, to what it ought to be. But many times, this simply reflects a deeper need within us...a need to be liberated from decay, and hopelessness, and aimlessness, to something much better. It simply reflects a deep longing for a transformation...inside.

And we have been waiting for this transformation for a long time. We know there is something better to come, and something better that ought to be, but we have to wait. That is what is implied by 'the pains of childbirth' (verse 22). We are suffering the pains of labour while watiting for the joy of delivery but in the meantime, it is not here yet, and so we wait.

We wait. In pain. In frustration. In hope.


"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

Reading it directly from the preceding verses, I began to see that what Paul meant was simply that very often, the Holy Spirit wants to transform our prayers from 'what is' to 'what ought to be'.

In other words, we pray as we know best but it is not what we ought to be praying about.

Have you ever felt that frustration?

When your heart is breaking, and your head is confused, and your spirit tormented...and you try to pray...and all you can utter is some words that really doesnt mean much at all to you. Because you are not sure if that is what you are supposed to pray.

Should you pray for direction? For peace? For relief? For deliverance? We can only pray the way we know best. And very often, these prayers seem impotent, pointless, aimless and useless.

The good news is, in the same way that God is liberating us, and bringing us out of what our situation IS, to what our situation OUGHT TO BE, the Holy Spirit is changing our prayers...from what our prayers are, to what they ought to be.

I am seized today again by the importance of prayer.

God considered the prayers that we pray to Him of such importance that He wants to perfect each one of them. In the same way that He wants to perfect us.

And every prayer we pray, the Holy Spirit transforms it, package it, and perfects it so that when it reaches Him, it is according to His perfect will.

So why groans?

Because, just like we have a groan whenever we think about the situation we are in, and the situation we ought to be in, the Holy Spirit groans to transform our prayers from what they are to what they ought to be.

Although, of course, we do not think of prayer in this way. We give little thought to prayer and often give little thought to what a 'perfected' prayer is. But knowing how much it means to God, and how much he sees our prayers, and how much He puts into each of our prayers, groaning for us, to perfect each tiny prayer...gives me hope. And it gives me a desire to pray.

Because just as God is committed to transforming us, he is committed to transforming our prayers.

Or simply put, God is committed to transforming us by transforming our prayers.

And it gives me hope. Because even as I groan deeply each day, living in the 'isness' but longing for the 'oughtness' of life, I can be assured God knows, and he cares, and there is at least one thing He is constantly doing in making the 'isness' become the 'oughtness' for me, and that is in the most important area of my life...my prayers to Him.

Coming back to Obama's speech, I am inspired once again to go for something higher in life. To not let the 'isness' of my life and my situations deter me from striving for the 'oughtness' of what God intends.

The world needs people who despite living in the 'isness' of life, constantly strive for the 'oughtness' and then touch people around them by being the people they 'ought to be'. Because this 'oughtness' is divine. It is God's will. And it is what the world needs.


"Let us reach for the world that ought to be -- that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls." -