Courageous Spirituality (part 1): “Accept God’s Call”

-
2 Corinthians 3 laid the foundations for true spirituality--but what do we do once we have it? Once we obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit allowing Christ to lift the veil of spiritual blindness and He writes on our heart what is on His mind for all men to read, “now what?”

“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” (2 Cor. 4:1) In other words, “we are not wearied to the point of fainting.” The source of living true spirituality comes with the courage found in God’s mercy which we receive by faith. Mercy is an attribute of God requiring a closer look because we often find God’s mercy at work when God’s people are in trouble.
  • “And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” (2 Sam 24:14)
  • “When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’” (Mt 9:27)
  • “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting [me] into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did [it] ignorantly in unbelief.” (1 Tim 1:11-13) 
Look carefully at what Paul has written: he had his spirituality all worked out, but after Christ transformed him he recognized the spirituality he made for himself was in ignorance. He needed the mercy, the help of God, to have true spirituality and to live it out. Once he allowed God to write spiritual values on his heart, then he understood what was on God’s mind for his life, which is why he could write in an outburst of praise, “Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” (1 Cor 1:3)

We don’t have to grope our way around in blind faith trying to figure out the mystery of God’s will for our lives. We can find comfort from the Father of Mercies as we grow in active faith to know what He wants us to do. This does not happen all at once, but in little steps as we have opportunity to serve through service ministries and community involvement.

True Spirituality is not wearisome--busy, yes, but not wearisome. Some people do spiritual things (good deeds) to show God their spirituality but biblical spirituality is God’s Spirit at work in you, mercifully setting you free to do everything you should. Let the Spirit be spiritual for you and manifest the fruit of His labor in you.

Courageous Spirituality accepts God’s call, connecting His mercy with His ministry.

Popular posts from this blog

The Island-Fish

-
Image
  “O ye passengers, whom may God preserve! come up quickly in to the ship, hasten to embark, and leave your merchandise, and flee with your lives, and save yourselves from destruction; for this apparent island, upon which ye are, is not really an island, but it is a great fish that hath become stationary in the midst of the sea, and the sand hath accumulated upon it, so that it hath become like an island, and trees have grown upon it since times of old; and when ye lighted the fire upon it, the fish felt the heat, and put itself in motion, and now it will descend with you into the sea, and ye will all be drowned: then seek for yourselves escape before destruction, and leave the merchandise.—The passengers, therefore, hearing the words of the master of the ship, hastened to go up into the vessel, leaving the merchandise, and their other goods, and their copper cooking-pots, and their fire-pots; and some reached the ship, and others reached it not. The island had moved, and descended...
Read more

“And so, about this tomb of mine . . . “

-
Image
  “VANITY, saith the preacher, vanity!  Draw round my bed: is Anselm keeping back?  Nephews—sons mine … ah God, I know not! Well—  She, men would have to be your mother once,  Old Gandolf envied me, so fair she was!  What’s done is done, and she is dead beside,  Dead long ago, and I am Bishop since,  And as she died so must we die ourselves,  And thence ye may perceive the world’s a dream.  Life, how and what is it?  As here I lie In this state-chamber, dying by degrees,  Hours and long hours in the dead night,  I ask “Do I live, am I dead?”  Peace, peace seems all.  Saint Praxed’s ever was the church for peace;  And so, about this tomb of mine.  I fought With tooth and nail to save my niche, ye know:  —Old Gandolf cozened me, despite my care;  Shrewd was that snatch from out the corner  South He graced his carrion with,  God curse the same!  Yet still my niche is not so cramped...
Read more