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It seems I need to start writing more again. God keeps laying so many things on my heart, and I'm not being obedient to His call to write them out... which is really the larger issue of not making time for God in my personal life. My rationalization is that I'm doing God's work all day every day... I work in ministry. I go to church. I meet for Bible studies and small groups. I'm doing God's work. Being too busy to pray and have personal devotion time because of doing God's work is not as bad as being too busy doing drugs or partying to pray and have personal devotion time. Right?
The obvious answer is - OF COURSE it's better to be doing God's work than doing drugs and partying... BUT, since when is "better", or "not as bad as", good enough?! Did God call us as His people to be "not as bad as"?
13:5 Make a test of yourselves, if you are in the faith; make certain of yourselves. Or are you not conscious in yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you, if you are truly Christ's? 13:6 But it is my hope that you will have no doubt that we are truly Christ's. 13:7 Now our prayer to God is that you may do no evil; not in order that it may be put to our credit, but so that you may do what is right, whatever we may seem. 13:8 Because we are able to do nothing against what is true, but only for it. 13:9 For we are glad when we are feeble and you are strong: and this is our prayer, even that you may be made complete. 13:10 For this cause I am writing these things while I am away, so that there may be need for me, when I am present, to make use of sharp measures, by the authority which the Lord has given me for building up and not for destruction. 13:11 Let this be my last word, brothers; be glad; be complete; be comforted; be of the same mind; be at peace with one another: and the God of love and peace will be with you.
The NIV translation of verse 11 is "Aim for perfection" instead of "be complete". Perfection. We are not called to be better... but the BEST.
Smoking cigarettes is not as bad as doing cocaine.
Saying the "s"-word is not as bad as saying the "f"-word.
Speeding in my car is not as bad as driving drunk.
Neglecting God for ministry is not as bad as neglecting God for a television show.
Being lazy is not as bad as being cruel.
Thinking lustfully is not as bad as acting out of lust.
Skipping church for a couple weeks is not as bad as being an Easter/Christmas Christian.
But God doesn't ask us to aim for mediocre or "just enough". He tells us to aim for perfection.
1:27 to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 1:28 whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;
PERFECT.
Not "better" or "not as bad as..."
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5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Learning to walk in the spirit is a new experience. 3:12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. 3:13 Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing `I do', forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,
Thanks Kyleen. Nice to see you back. |
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| Thanks Dave!! I love that passage from Philippians. It's a great point to make - that we are NOT perfect... but must stretch forward towards what's ahead (which should be becoming like Christ) and not looking back. |
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| Only long enough to see if amends need to be made but then we make amend as we press on. |
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Cheryl |
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December 16, 2007 at 8:59am |
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| I haven't even finished reading but I had to comment on your first paragraph...DON'T fall into that thinking trap! I did that for too long. I did that too...I lead bible studies, I group, I cell group it...I'm getting my study in, ultimately that was a lie. You need ME time. Make sure you selfishly set time aside for you and God...not you and God and everyone else. |
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Cheryl, I know. I really do. And yet for some reason I am not doing well at adding ME time as a priority.
Woman of Joy... God bless you! :) |
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Gene |
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December 17, 2007 at 10:24am |
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Kyleen, great blog!
Sometimes we tend to forget that along with believing is discipleship. being a disciple means studying from the master and incorporating those lessons into our lives.
5:48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
We are supposed to disciple ourselves to conform to that image.
You're right - the best is what we are to strive toward. |
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| Awesome verse to add Gene! Discipleship is such a HUGE part... believing is GREAT, but living it is what we're called to do as a response to that faith. |
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