Daily Devotion - Maturity
Most of us would be moderately uncomfortable with the thought that we could be holy. Holiness seems to be an attribute reserved for God.
Among the countless number of those who own a copy of the Bible, we find believers who are in Christ, yet His Word is not in them.
How much more do we need in order to realize that we gain much more than we ever lose by serving God? Even those things that we sacrifice are turned into good through God. Everything that happens, whether we label it good or bad, points toward where we are headed, not where we have been.
We all know them...those people who won't budge unless it's their idea. Have you ever tried to take a big dog for a walk when he didn't want to go? It can be comical, but frustrating.
God is the ultimate farmer, watching over the crop of the earth, sending early and latter rain in hopes of a great harvest of people. But He has also allowed us to farm our own lives.
Remember the patriotic billboard of the elderly gentleman with the tall top hat that sternly pointed his finger and said “Uncle Sam Wants You”? In a similar fashion, God wants all of us who are called by His name to willingly surrender our lives to the advancement of His Heavenly Kingdom.
At times, I’ve felt like I’ve been in life’s ocean with recurring waves of some of life’s toughest challenges. The first few waves were pretty rough, then a few small waves; and then it seems that the waves are trying to drown me. Have you felt this way at times?
Our faith muscles will atrophy if we don’t use them. What condition are yours in? We must all work to keep them strong. Where is God working that you could join Him if you just stretched a tiny bit?
The apostle Paul wrote that a time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but will turn away for the truth and choose teachings that are more aligned with their own desires.
After my initial conversion to Christianity, it didn’t take long for me to realize that an inner war had been declared and that my mind was where the heaviest skirmishes were taking place.
It is time for us all to take responsibility for our Christian maturity. We can't blame the church for the emptiness we feel. We need to recognize that what we get out of the local church is what we put in. This would include our prayer life, our at-home worship to the Lord, and our daily studying of the Word of God.
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