Leading to maturity

 
by Carine Lai

When I was in second grade my friend and I were trying to be responsible and look things up in a dictionary for ourselves. Unfortunately we were convinced we knew the word “sure” started with “sh” and we could not find it in the dictionary. We asked the teacher for help and he told us to look the word up for ourselves. Recently I was having a conversation with someone about doing something I didn’t know how to do. The response I again received was “just do it”. I was left thinking about how we as Christians often tell others to “just do it”. Just trust God. Just say a prayer. Just read the Bible. Just walk according to God’s word. How are we supposed to learn to do those things without help? What are we doing to help each other grow to maturity in our faith? Are we like the woman in the graphic above holding each other back, or are we forcing each other on even when they are wounded or need a helping hand?

In October the Leadership Journal had an article by titled So Many Christian Infants: Why are we so good at leading people to faith and so bad at prodding them to maturity? “Gordon MacDonald’s column for October is my own lament: Why are there so many spiritual babies? And why don’t the mature believers do something about it? We’re really good at bringing people into the kingdom, Gordon says, but lousy at prodding them to maturity. Our sage is not afraid to point fingers.”

Living in accordance with Scripture

In 1 Corinthians Paul lays out several questions we can use to help determine if our actions are in accordance with scripture and if we are living in a way that would be pleasing to God. (These are gathered from several other web sites and compiled together.)

1. Will this edify me and/or others? Will it benefit us spiritually?
a. If a thing we do does not benefit us spiritually it is dangerous
b. 1 Corinthians 10:23 says, “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.”
c. Galatians 5:22-23 / Ephesians 4:29 / 1 Peter 4:10-11 / 2 Timothy 4:9-12 / 1 Timothy 6:6-10

2. Will it put me in bondage?
a. Questionable practice that can be habit forming is not wise to pursue
b. 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”
c. Ephesians 4:27 / Romans 13:14 / 2 Peter 2:19 / Titus 1:15-16, 2:11-12

3. Will it defile God’s temple?
a. We should not do anything with our bodies that would dishonor the Lord
b. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
c. Psalm 101:3 / 2 Corinthians 7:1 / 2 Corinthians 10:12

4. Will it cause others to stumble?
a. True character is shown through the willingness to refrain from enjoying freedom if it might cause others to sin
b. 1 Corinthians 8:8‑9 says, “Food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”
c. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 / Psalm 101:3 / 2 Corinthians 7:1 / 2 Corinthians 10:12 / John 17:23 / Romans 15:5-6 / Ephesians 4:3-6

5. Will it this hurt my witness?
a. We must think of the effect any practice might have on our testimony to the lost.
b. 1 Corinthians 10:32-33 says, “Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved.”
c. Matthew 5:16 / 1 Thessalonians 5:22 / Ephesians 5:3-8 / Philippians 2:15 / Colossians 4:5

6. Will it violate my conscience?
a. If we are not sure whether an action is pleasing to God, we should not do it. God gives us a conscience through the Holy Spirit to be our guide.
b. 1 Corinthians 10:25‑29 contains three references to abstaining from a certain practice “for conscience’ sake.”
c. Romans 14:23 / James 4:17 / 1 Peter 3:15-16 / Hebrews 13:18-19

7. Will it bring glory to God?
a. One’s unwillingness to live this life to bring glory to God is a sign of immaturity at the best and rebellion at the worst
b. 1 Corinthians 10:31 summarizes all these principles by saying, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
c. Ephesians 5:15-20 / Colossians 3:17,23 / 1 Timothy 4:4-5

Do we practice God’s word?

Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22)

In this day and age where absolutes are not acceptable and questioning things is seen as dissension are we as Christians living by this verse? Do we put it into practice? Paul instructs us to examine, test and prove what we believe, not to just accept the word of a pastor, or a doctrine because it has been taught by our church. 

In Acts 17 Paul left Thessalonica and moved to Berea. Verse 11 says, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” The Bereans wanted to know what Paul said and tested it to be make is was true. They studied the scriptures themselves but also studied the Word to know what it said and meant. It was important for them to know not only what they believed, but to know exactly why they believed it!

Paul encourages us to examine what we believe and why, and to discern the difference between good and evil. Today many will tell us to there is truth in a variety of places, so how do we go about examining and proving our beliefs? Where do we start? I think the first place to start is by knowing God’s word, not just a verse here and there, but to know enough context around what the Bible says and to see themes repeated through the scriptures to know what is and is not God’s heart for us.

Are we just believing doctrine, or are we seeking to live in a way that practices God’s word?

Perfection even when there is nothing

Recently I have been talking to someone about the story of Job (from the Bible) and how all of us go through times in our lives when we experience loss and pain. We have been talking about how the story of Job can be an encouragement during that process. I don’t know why God put certain stories in the Bible for us to read and refer to, but I do trust that they are there for a purpose.

Today I received this quote, “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

During this season there are many whose lives are filled with an abundance of blessings both in relationships and material things. My heart has been moved though by those who don’t have that abundance such as Washington residents who have lost their homes, possessions, and businesses in a storm; the family and friends of mall shoppers who were killed by a shooter; and two YWAM staff workers and two teenage girls who were killed by a man in Colorado this weekend. There are those in this world who experience tremendous loss, but who are still being faithful and strong in the face of having nothing. I hope we can learn to be people like that.

We can’t know what tomorrow holds. It may be blessing, or it may be loss. In the face of both, God is present. He is able to see the big picture that we often can’t, and sometimes we need to go through those tough times in order to be shaped, changed, and refined so he can make us perfect.

May Paul’s charge to Timothy inspire you to hold on and be faithful during those tough times. ”But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:11-12)

When a disaster or emergency strikes

Snow….Rain…Hurricane force winds…Flooding…Power outages…Road closures

When a disaster strikes what does it mean? Washington State this week has been declared a state of disaster. With wide spread damage from snow followed by drenching rain and hurricane force rains there is wide spread damage. Listening to the news makes it sound like everyone is impacted and in desperate need. It has made me stop and take a look at what this disaster has meant for me.

• A longer commute home
• Extra rain as I walked to and from the car
• Some questions if I would be able to get to my home Monday night and a resulting need to take alternative routes to get home
• Lots of topics of conversation with others
• The inability to visit my family’s vacation home because the road is washed out and the area has no power

Others in the area have flooded homes, stranded cars, flooded businesses, are trapped in their homes with no means of evacuation, have no power or fresh water, etc. Every day there are people around us that are in a state of emergency or who are having a disaster in their life. We walk by them, talk to them, do business with them, etc. and we don’t even know what they are dealing with. God not only knows their every need, but he also cares about them, every one of them.

What is the story of those you are around today? Do you know their story? Do you know if they are in a state of emergency or experiencing a disaster? How can you love your neighbor by learning their story?

Be more than a just a gift giver….

Last night I was looking around online and considering donating a gift to others who are in high need for this holiday season. I came across some stories that made me think. Just one or two people started each of these organizations or movements. What could you do this holiday season to make a real difference? It doesn’t have to be starting an organization, but just look what one person could do! Be intentional this holiday and make a plan to be more than a gift giver, be a blessing to someone else.

• Onemillionwitnesses.com – Build a wall of one million witness accounts of God’s love , raise money to provide water, food, shelter and medicine for those in need all over the world = changing the world one story at a time.
• CharityWater.org –One man, Scott, founded this organization in August 2006 to bring drinking water to Africa. In the first 5 months he raised $550,000, enough to fund 71 new and rehabilitated wells. Since charity: was founded they have funded the development of 200+ wells in 6 African nations through the work of exemplary humanitarian organizations like Living Water International, Concern Worldwide US, Healing Hands International, and Water For People. When completed, these wells will serve 100,000 people with clean, safe water.
• Care.org I Am Powerful Campaign - Businesswoman, philanthropist and CARE Ambassador Sheila C. Johnson has made a $4 million gift to CARE to issue a singular challenge to individuals and businesses in the United States: Join a global movement to empower women in the fight against poverty. Sheila’s I Am Powerful Challenge, launched in June 2007, will match gifts to CARE dollar for dollar, engaging Americans to connect with women in poor countries and help them break down the barriers of poverty and inequity that have held them back for so long.
• Advent Conspiracy - In 2006, five churches from across the United States banded together to restore the scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption. Last year the five participating churches collected just under half of a million dollars. This year, excitement is building; more than 1,000 churches and organizations have already joined the conspiracy for Christmas 2007. Participating groups will take an offering just before Christmas, made up of money that was saved through relational giving and resisting over-consumption. With these funds, each church or organization will find ways to love desperate people with the love of God–both in their communities and around the world. They called their movement “Advent Conspiracy”, and challenged their members to…
  • Worship more: We shouldn’t compete with the consumer impulses of our culture, but instead align ourselves with Christ, worshipping him in a holistic way.
  • Spend less: We need to learn that part of saying “yes” to Jesus means that we say “no” to over-spending. We say “no” to over-consumption. We say “no” to these things so we can create space to say “yes” to Jesus and his reign in our lives.
  • Give more: We have to think in a new way about what it means to give ourselves to others. We can be transformed by the story of Advent, knowing that we give relationally because God gave relationally.
  • Love all: It was in the Advent that Jesus entered our poverty so we would no longer be poor. The money we save by giving relationally and rejecting consumerism can change the lives of people in our communities and our world.