“We have been snared in the coils of spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him, we need no more seek Him.” ~Tozer
“We have been snared in the coils of spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him, we need no more seek Him.” ~Tozer
The most difficult part of trials is the uncertainty of how long they will last.
Psalm 13:1–2 (ESV) How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
A child often asks, on any car trip longer than 15 minutes: “How much longer?” or “When will get there?” Adults recognise the trip will take as long as it takes to get where they’re going, but not kids.
Christian maturity can be measured by how many times we think or ask: “How long?”
Staying silent is can be a wise thing:
“Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent." - Proverbs 17:28 (ESV)
But a person’s silence can also be a sign of evil scheming:
“Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent." - Mark 3:4 (NKJV)
Beware when a person refuses to answer direct questions.
“As I look back on my life, God seems to have used the difficulties and defeats more than any apparent success.” ~N. Gumbel
‘So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. ' - Colossians 2:6-7
As I read this passage, it occurred to me that every person, Christian or not, is ‘living their lives in ‘something’. Everyone is ‘rooted and built up’ in something. All peoples, believers or not, are ‘strengthened’ in something.
But only those who are doing these things ‘in Him’ and ‘in the faith’ can overflow with thankfulness.
‘I was a drug addict for years, entrenched with crime. I looked the part but inside I was very broken. There was a hole inside of me that I tried to fill with things that didn’t work. Jesus is real. He did an inside job on me. The change is dramatic – healing and changing, transforming my mind and heart. The curse has been broken over my family.’ M. Emmett, career criminal, after being converted in prison through studying Alpha Course
There are many measuring sticks people use to determine success.
Too often people measure success by the size of their bank account, possessions, talent, and, sadly, even appearance.
As Christians our gauge should be the person’s spirituality, specifically: Christlikeness.
Even in considering members for church ministry, leaders often use measuring sticks such as availability, church attendance, church work ethic, etc… when assessing a person’s suitability for a ministry position.
Certainly, these are important qualities, but they should be regarded as the most basic of traits of a devoted Christian rather than primary determinations of success or leadership.
As time rolls on it seems that many who started their journey with Christ get stuck in the mud.
Stagnation happens.
The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way.
What are some ingredients in the life of one who is progressing in their walk with God?
ATTENDANCE
Success belongs to those who show up.
In our interconnected but often isolated life, attendance has become optional.
After the pandemic of 2020 companies were forced to allow worker to work from home. Today remote work is considered a necessity for some. But, firms are taking notice that their employees productivity is suffering. There is now a call for a return to the office. Many reasons are cited for this call but there are two that stand out to me:
BETTER COLLABORATION
People in close proximity to each often collaborate more often and to a greater degree. There’s something about being able to bounce a thought or an idea off a colleague. Even in chitchat, something is often said that is beneficial to your growth.
BETTER MENTAL HEALTH
Man was not created to be alone.
Genesis 2:18 (ESV) Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
Isolation is not wise.
Proverbs 18:1 (ESV) Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
You don’t need to be a mental health expert to recognise that spending large amounts of time alone isn’t a good idea.
For the Christ-follower attendance is an important ingredient in the recipe for spiritual growth:
Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV) And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
What does this look like in everyday life?
Attendance is an important step on the journey of progress in the Christian life.
I’ve seen 100s of photos like this. They always warm my soul.
We had a saying when I was young and people we knew had a bad attitude: “You better check yo’ self!”
When it comes to contentment vs discontentment we do well to check ourselves.
Ben Franklin said: ‘Content[ment] makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor,’