The Path to Spiritual Achievement
The praises which truly honor God are often expressed through actions, more than those stemming from words uttered or songs raised. God Himself had alluded to that in the Old Testament, when He lamented about some people who “worship me with their lips but their heart is far from Me.”
The same applies to several other acts of personal devotion. Whatever one says or does initially, needs to be backed up with consistency through tangible examples. Christian living is more than a one time commitment. Only the new birth occurs once; everything else is repeated, enhanced, and requires steady advances into higher levels.
The safest way to honor God, to please Him truly, is to follow the blueprint He left behind for all His redeemed. He desires the very best for all who have come to Him. Yet, His children have unique responsibilities to fulfill so as to advance as they must!
Author John L. Mason reminds his readers that “Man is responsible to God for becoming what God has made possible for him to become.” Sometimes we need to discard several things, even good ones, in order to appropriate the missing ingredient which will lead us on - that which truly contributes to our betterment.
After his Damascus road experience, Paul recognized the futility of all his previous pursuits. Exciting as many of his earlier experiences had been, he determined to know Christ as completely as he could. And to that end, he had to abandon anything and everything that would be in the way of his steady, continual growth in the new life he had found (Philippians 3:5-11).
People learn, at conversion, that they have been redeemed from sin, and will not face eternal darkness and damnation in the end. Yet, many often ignore what is available to them right now, including what may be unpleasant in the present, as well as how they may meet the challenges of today victoriously!
Several are seeking answers to “ultimate” questions while remaining at a loss regarding how to cope with the here and now. On the other hand, the higher one may want to go, the deeper must one’s foundations be, with respect to things present, as well as things to come.
God is always inviting His children to a higher plane, for it is there that their true fulfillment will be reached. God’s people are called to look up, to lift their eyes, for much that surrounds them on earth is in decay. Their true motivation and encouragement comes from above!
As I often say, don’t be overly preoccupied with the life you didn’t live. Instead, concentrate on the life you still have, and make the best of it, with God’s help! Recognize always what may cause you to trip and fall, to retard your progress, and quickly remove those stumbling blocks to clear the path God provided for you to travel. Even the best roads may not allow you to reach your destination, unless you overcome the obstacles found along the way!
April 30th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Continuing manna through Dr. Lyra!