Sometimes we get caught up in one of Satan’s most devious snares that comes disguised as spirituality, but in reality draws us away from following Jesus as we should. Have you ever been so concerned about how God, or Jesus, is treating someone else that it nearly becomes an obsession with you? Have you boldly asked Jesus why He is behaving a certain way, either positive, or negatively, towards someone?
Do we maintain a hope in God and Jesus Christ that is with us every minute of every day? Has our faith produced a transformation in us that is irreversible, or does the old person we once were continue to struggle against us as we are tempted to fall back into sin? Our hope in Christ is not like a tide that is meant to rise and fall within us, no, it is a living hope that is alive in us always. We are meant to lean on our faith; loving, praying, and hoping in the Lord as we push back against every worldly temptation.
The day of the year is approaching when we will celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, but without the sin that Adam brought into the world, and imparted to us, Christ’s arrival would not have been necessary, and His home would have remained in heaven. We honor this month the birth of our Redeemer by feasting and with great joy, not because He is paid the earth a visit, but because He defeated sin, death, and saved our souls.
When God reveals His glory, and handiwork, to us what do we do with that revelation? When Jesus appears to us and pours grace over our heads like a warm oil how do we deal with that experience? Do we keep such things to ourselves, or do we tell others, and perhaps the world? If an Angel comes to us in a pasture what is our response?
Are there things we do that bring joy to God and the heavenly host? Before you think that there is nothing, and that no one like you could possibly cause celebration in heaven, think about what occurs when a soul is saved... even yours. The moment you repented of your sins and accepted Jesus as the Son of God, and your savior, there is incredible joy in heaven. You are worth that much.
Do we think that we choose God of our own accord, and that He has no say in our coming to Him? Do we think that we can know Jesus Christ and confess Him to be our Savior without being given to Him first by His Father? No - when we are told to “seek and you will find”, we are being called to Him, and following His calling we must accept, obey, and answer His voice.
Do we flirt with sin in our lives, and think that we will not yield to it? There is enough temptation in this world without purposely seeking out its company, or not removing ourselves from situations whose natural outcome is anger, and sin. We read scripture about anger, and are told not to tarry in it, because pots brought to a boil will eventually boil over. Certain things in life are not sins, in and of themselves, but are catalysts that lead to sin. If the love of money is the root of all evil then anger is its close companion. Anger is the cradle in which sin is rocked, and given into the world.
Do you consume the Word of God as if it were your greatest joy? Does it satisfy you completely like a feast for your soul? When we are called by God, and declare His Son Jesus to be our savior, we find ourselves transformed, and that God’s Word has become the greatest delicacy at His table. We consume it with amazing zeal, and the mere scent of it causes us to long continuously for its taste. Does this describe our longing, or have we lost a taste for the Word after years of the same steady diet?
We say that we serve and obey God, and that we do His will when it is revealed to us, but how do we go about it? Do we approach our work by demonstrating faith, doing God’s will with joy, and serving Him with a fullness of heart? Maybe we make a checklist and dutifully perform every item? Or, perhaps we pick and choose just those things we find pleasure in? Doing the will of God isn’t meant to be a chore, or something done halfway, but an act of over abundant Love.
It is so hard for us to resist doing our own will rather than God’s. We are like little children who see something we want, and abandon what our parents would have us do in order to secure our own desires. Little ones who disobey their parent’s will face punishment, and besides, how can we claim to be like Jesus if we can’t follow after one of His greatest examples in faith... obeying His Father’s will.
When we are actively engaged in spiritual warfare we are to stand firm against the enemy, the armies of darkness, but do we pray solely for our own deliverance? Certainly we pray for God to protect us, but any soldier knows that if those around him go down on the battlefield, or are not prepared for the battle ahead, then success is unlikely, and many others will fall. So how does this relate to us as Christians? Well, we are to pray for all those around us as we engage the enemy, and before that day, we are to have helped them in their training, and putting on their armor.
How can we not trust in the love and protection of God, who sent His only begotten Son to the cross to save us from sin, and death? When we are faced with calamity we should not fear, but know instead that if we pray in the name of Jesus for God’s help He will release His heavenly armies, who stand at the ready to aid us, or touch us with His healing hand... out of His mercy and grace. Do we call out to Him as we should? Do we trust in him to the same extent that we love Him; with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength?
Do we know the difference between what we want, and what we actually need? When we are in prayer do we ask our Father for trivial things that would make people envious of us but do little to bring Him glory, or serve His purpose and will? How often is our precious time of prayer consumed by frivolous pleading for gold, a fine home, a new automobile, or some other worldly possession that is meant to satisfy our desires alone? Our God provides for us from his heavenly riches, and our needs are provided through Jesus Christ who owned no donkey, no house, and only wore a fine robe once... as he was being mocked before His crucifixion. So ask yourself again... “What are my needs?”
As brothers and sisters in Christ do we love one another as we should? Does this love spring forth from Jesus within us, and cause our faith to grow stronger as we exercise it? When we love, and are loved by others in Christ, we should thank God for this, and for them, because this is the light of our Savior shining forth from within us, and the love that God is giving us of Himself.
Where do we place our trust, what is the sure and stable foundation on which we confidently build our life, and to who do we turn in times of trouble? In other words... where are our roots established? The Bible is filled with references regarding roots, and specifically, where we put ours down, how deep they grow, and how well they support our spiritual foliage. In evaluating our faith we need to ask ourself about the health of our root systems because without them there is no lasting spiritual vitality, and no fullness in the fruit that grows from our faith.