All tagged spiritual
When I was young in the faith I sang the song "Onward Christian Soldiers" as if I were at war with the world. What I missed in those opening lyrics was the word "as". I missed the fact that this was a song of unity and support for one another and the church; not a call to a spiritually founded world war. I missed the message of 1 Timothy 6... The real war isn’t in the world, it is within ourselves.
This morning we look at the spiritual battleground before us and wonder about our place on it. There should be no doubt but that there is a battle raging for our souls... and we are active combatants in it. But, are we prepared to march onto the field and proclaim the mystery of the gospel?
When we are walking this physical world and living our physical lives, we are prone to pay attention to those things of this world and the comforts of our bodies. Although we feel the urging of the Spirit, it is easily pushed aside when the world calls. My morning reading was so right when it said that flesh and blood do not enjoy dedicating time and attention to prayer. Prayer requires an emotional and physical outpouring of ourselves and takes up one of the resources we value most in this life... Time.
My personal devotional reading this morning dealt with making all of the common things in our lives sacred. Pastor E.M. Bounds wrote that "It puts God not just in our praying and church-going, but in every aspect of life. The spirit of devotion makes the common things of earth sacred, and the little things great." Someone holding our hand as they pray for us, and telling us that we are going to be alright becomes priceless. A gentle touch conveys our love and caring even as the few words we speak in prayer comforts others. Touch; it seems such a small thing and yet is mentioned repeatedly in scripture. A common thing made holy by our devotion.
We are creatures of both natural and spiritual construction. It is God’s desire that our natural selves be disciplined, and come under the authority of the spiritual, but that wild and unschooled nature is not a passive student in this transition. Have you gained control over your natural self? Are you waiting for God to make this choice for you? Well, He has His desire, but the choice remains yours.
Where do we make our abode? Where is our place of residence? This morning we are trying to determine whether we claim our earthly home as our permanent residence, or whether we list our heavenly home as such. Then there are also the times, in our travels, that home becomes the place where we simply lay our head.
How much time do we spend alone in a quiet place by ourselves? When we think back on such periods of solitude what were we contemplating during them? For the Christian we are spending this time in deep and peaceful conversation with God; sometimes without a word spoken. When we do speak during these periods of calm and quiet, we not only hear His small still voice but we speak to Him in one as well. All of the turmoil, and the loud voices of everyday life, are stilled. We discuss our problems and seek His help, but it is with the assurance that He is there, and will lead us through them, even providing us with an escape.
As old men and women in Christ do we mentor those who are young and are yet to understand the ways of Jesus? Do we take them under our wing and teach them humility, patience, service, mercy, and all the wonderful characteristics of life… the life of our Lord Jesus? Do we speak to them of the commandments of God, and Jesus, then show them what obedience looks like in our own lives? If we do these things then we become their spiritual mothers and fathers. This is who Paul became to Onesimus.
Are we oblivious to the spiritual dangers that surround us each day? Are we like a tiny fly that at any moment might be ensnared by an unseen web and consumed by its stealthy owner? As the children of God we are protected from many dangers, but that doesn’t mean that they are not there, nor that Satan has ceased to roar as he prowls about the world; no, he still desires to devour our souls. The questions becomes these…Are we vigilant, and watchful? Do we lean into the Lord our God for His protection and deliverance, and is His Word our strength?
We read in scripture that our faith requires attention and strengthening in order for us to face the many tribulations we will encounter in this fallen world. Our road to righteousness is hard, and filled with many obstacles that must be overcome before we can win the day, and enter into Heaven. We sing about the hour we first believed, and how we felt when we took that first sweet taste of eternity with Jesus, but as glorious as that moment was, it was only the beginning of our journey, the infancy of our faith, and was meant to prepare us for the initial hardships that lay ahead. We go on to read the words of encouragement that Paul, Peter, James, and others wrote, and listen to the teaching of Jesus. We know by them that though we win today’s battle, the spiritual war that rages on is long, and will demand much of us. We are told to put on our armor every day, exercise our faith to increase it, and face the dark enemy with an increased vigor. The time to rest has not yet come.
Are we one of those Christians who says they have no particular gift or talent to use in service of the Lord? Do we go to church, stand when the others stand, mumble our way through the singing because we can’t carry a tune in a bucket, and in every way lead a rather obscure life? Well perhaps we do far more than we realize. Maybe our greatest gift for the kingdom is to live out a godly life, and quietly tell people about Jesus in a non-demonstrative manner. Are we one of the great heroes for the kingdom that flies under the earthly radar, and that no one except God sees?
Through the Holy Spirit we receive love, and many various gifts from God, and we know that we are to use them in doing God’s will, and to bring Him glory, but there are other reasons we have been given these gifts… we are to use them in service to one another, and also as we serve to be stewards of God’s grace. Do we receive a gift from God but neglect to use it as a means of helping and loving others? Do we love our brothers and sisters in Christ, and our neighbors, as a dispensation of grace by using our gifts to ease the burdens in their lives, and to further God’s influence in them?
As modern day Christians we tend to look at the world around us and fret over the sinful condition it is in, how it is set against us as a people of faith, and has such disdain for God’s Church. We become worried about what will happen to us in the face of such terrible adversity. Yet things are not as bad as they seem, and if we will pray in absolute faith for God to send us help, and that our eyes be opened so that we can see what is spiritually arrayed about us, we would stop fretting, and praise God with all joy, and in absolute confidence, and security.
Today I want to pray a blessing over you; the same prayer of blessing that was prayed in Hebrews. Many of you are Pastors, Saints, and Missionaries, who have prayed this blessing over others, but it is especially relevant to your calling, and your lives. Today I ask for God to equip you with every good thing you need as you go about doing His will, and the good work in us that you have been called to do. For some this equipment will be new, but to most it has already been given... if you will only open your eyes, and trust in His provision as you witness to others, and save souls with these tools of faith.
We run races for exercise, and keep our bodies fit by eating well, and doing those things that are good for us, so that by doing this we might add a few short years to our lives, but when we do spiritual exercises in which our belief is helped, and our faith is strengthened, then we add all of eternity to our lives. The question becomes; which is of more value to us, our godliness, or bodily training?