IfYouGiveAMindensenABlog

The Devil often pushes us back and forth, back and forth between two EXTREMES. We're convicted about one and rush to the other and back again. We make ourselves spiritually and emotionally 'motion-sick' with the ups and downs. Crushing ourselves with the belief that we've somehow FAILED, living in fear of never being able to do things 'right'. ...or maybe it's just me... Do I pray enough? Do I pray at the right time? Is God REALLY telling me to do something or is it just me trying to MAKE myself more spiritual? I tend to feel like I care too much...but what is too much? When is it wrong to hide my true feelings...is it ever right to hide my feelings? How do I find JOY in my 'times of trial', and not just faking a smile? How do I 'die to self' and yet not lose track of the fact that I am a 'master piece' and 'child of GOD'?

These are just some of the extremes I have been struggling to understand, and the Biblical truths that seem to bring a balance to them...

Pride...Self-HATE =Humility

Legalism...Reckless =Discipline (Colossians 2:16-23)

Fear...Foolishness =Faith

Judgmental...Overly passive =Grace

Overworking...Laziness =Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11; Jeremiah 17:24-27)


...I know there are correlating verses for all of them, but I can't recall the references right now...if you've got one that goes I would LOVE to have it. Also if you have an 'extreme set' and it's TRUTH or maybe you are looking for the central TRUTH...feel free to share too...it's nice to not feel alone in struggles.

Ultimately, as I look at all the words right of the (=), all of them are qualities I want to possess and be, but I can't achieve them on my own. I'm not perfect which is the main reason why these things are so HARD to do. However, they are not impossible. With JESUS, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. "I can do everything through him who gives me strength"(Philippians 4:13).

God is GOOD!♥

This morning I had the opportunity to attend church. However, due to some unforeseen car issues, I did not attend the church I typically go to when I have a free Sunday. I knew God had a reason for changing things up, and I was right. It was like the message today was written for me, and where I am RIGHT NOW. The church has been going through a series called 'Spiritual Targets for the Focused Christian Life', and this week was about how WE, as Christians ('truly born again believers') are to be COMMITTED TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND MATURITY.

The pastor talked about how we as humans are expected to grow beyond the 'baby-stage' in life, even though we're considered to be 'cute and cuddly'...in the same way, even though a new born CHRISTIAN can be exciting and fun, they too need (and are expected) to GROW beyond the 'baby-stage' of SPIRITUAL life. However, the process doesn't just END with getting out of the 'baby-stage'. There is ALWAYS another stage to reach...

When it comes to SPIRITUAL growth, our goal is to BE LIKE Christ, which is IMPOSSIBLE to achieve in this sinful world. NOBODY in our world WILL EVER be able to PERFECTLY imitate Christ. The purpose of the goal though is NOT to discourage, but rather, it points to God's holiness, and HIS intended purpose for us to be holy as well. Also, God KNOWS that perfection is humanly unachievable, and simply takes pleasure in our IMPROVEMENTS. It's our CONSTANT STRIVE TOWARD IMPROVEMENT that brings glory to God and is pleasing to him. God doesn't want us to grow stagnant in our faith, but wants us to grow ever closer to him. We, however, cannot do this on our own.In order to grow, we need God's help.

On our own we are powerless to change. The Good news is that God HAS provided ALL that we need 'for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness'(2Peter1:3)Did you catch the key? through our KNOWLEDGE of him The Christian life is NOT about a religion it's about a RELATIONSHIP with GOD. As we grow closer to God, we are able to better understand his will for our lives, and will become more willing to and ABLE to follow his leading. Our love for God makes us WANT to be more like HIM. If we don't LOVE him, we won't want to imitate him.

In order to grow closer to God we need to be getting into HIS WORD. Good communication is key to any healthy relationship, and God uses the Bible to speak to us. If we aren't regularly getting into his word, how do we expect to grow? Going back to the physical growth analogy, if we stopped eating food, we would stop growing, in fact we'd eventually die. In the same way, when it comes to spiritual growth, God's word is our food, and some of us are trying to live as 'spiritual anorexics'. We are SPIRITUALLY starving ourselves and then wondering why we are not spiritually growing. We need consistent spiritual nourishment, through a regular 'diet' of God's Word and pouring in of biblical truths into our hearts, in order to grow and mature in our faith.

The two ways the pastor talked about getting regular biblical nourishment are through daily personal reading/studying of the Bible, and through corporate Bible teaching. It is important to do BOTH. Sometimes, we excuse our not doing of one because we've done the other, but without both we only make it harder for ourselves to grow. "The Spiritual battles of our lives our fought on the battlefield of our thinking"...In Ephesians 4 it says that the lost 'walk in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them..." If we are not THINKING in a biblical way, we will not LIVE in a biblical way. In order to do that though successfully, according to Joshua 1:8 we need to 'mediate on it day AND night'. Continually, it's important to have CORPORATE biblical teaching because it's through our fellow believers that we are able to be 'sharpened', and by whom we are spurred "on toward love and good deeds' (Hebrews 10:24).

In the end though, it's important to remember that spiritual maturity doesn't happen over night. It's a regular walking with the Lord. A steady diet of His Word. A day-by-day, night-by-night, week-by-week, etc. of mediating and leaning on His TRUTH. It's a LIFE long process taken most often in the tiniest of steps; Baby steps.

God is GOOD! ♥