By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ~ 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What?!? You mean I didn't need to buy all those Christian "self-help" books to become godly? You mean I didn't have to go to that expensive seminar to get spiritual?
God says that He gives every believer in Christ everything we need for living a godly life. Jesus embraces us and teaches us what we need to know. As we know Him, we know what godliness is. And His Holy Spirit enables us to act on that knowledge.
I'm not saying that spiritual growth can't be aided by gifted writers and inspiring seminars and revivals. As we talk about God's word together, whether live or via the written word, we are blessed and encouraged to dive deeper into our relationship with Jesus! The Lord is praised and glorified in the process, and that is a blessed thing!
But do you think we do new believers in Christ a disservice by deflecting their gaze from the One who gives everything we need for godliness, and directing them to finding their spiritual gifts, diving into ministry, and making sure they read the top 10 Christian best sellers, so that they are "equipped"? And is it possible that those who have been believers for a long time missed the important step of developing their relationship with Jesus because they were swept into the religious hamster wheel of ministry and advanced spiritual growth?
Jesus Christ is the Equipper of the saints. He is the one who gives us the divine tools for godliness. And that power is for everyone who believes, which is great news, because godliness is not just for pastors, or worship leaders, or Bible study facilitators. It is for everyone who comes to Jesus with an honest heart.
Let's purpose to stay centered on the One on whom our faith is based -- Jesus Christ -- for He is the exact representation of God and the radiance of His glory (Hebrews 1:3). Not only does He exemplify godliness for us, He empowers us through His Holy Spirit to enact godliness in us. Knowing Jesus is the key.
And knowing Him comes by reading God's word and spending time with Him in prayer. Talk to Him, listen to His voice, engage Him in your everyday life. He will make Himself known to you, and you will be changed. By His power, His children are changed...from spiritual rags to riches, clothed in Christ's righteousness!
If you feel like you've been spinning your spiritual wheels trying to get spiritual and be more godly, if you can't find your Bible for all of the other books stacked on top of it, if you don't have time to pray because of all of the Christian radio programs and music you're listening to...well, then, I say get back to basics. Get back to Jesus. Throw off all the distractions and go on retreat with Jesus...right where you are! You don't need to go to the beach or the mountains to center yourself on Him. But you may need to turn off the radio and put down the books...well, that is, except THE Book...(psst...that's the Bible :-)
Love,
Joelene
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment