So You Want To Grow Spiritually?

Albert Einstein’s famous quote: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Sounds crazy, huh? Like who would do that…geez! Really? Well, let me think about this a little longer. How many things in your faith life do you do just because you have always done them? Or maybe you do things because you believe they will benefit you…like go to church, prayer before meals?

I used to believe that if I did more “religious” stuff, I would get more God, and then I would get more blessed. Sounds funny when I say it that way, but it was the truth. I mean seriously, I often would confuse religious customs, creeds, and even concoctions thinking they would help me grow more spiritually, and all the while, all I truly needed was Christ.

You see we live in a world that requires our activity in order to survive. Regardless of what we do or how we do it, most of the time it is done with the expectation of getting something in return: a paycheck, a bigger house, a wife, etc. All day long we are surrounded by stuff. Stuff we would like to have, or maybe feel we need to have in order to get to the mystical and ever-illusive place called “ENOUGH”. Which in case you have not noticed, the closer you get to it or when you think you are there…it moves.

The same is true with our faith lives. The more we try to get “somewhere” by doing and acting like good Christians, we find ourselves wondering where it moved too. We do all the things we are told to, and a lot of stuff we just think couldn’t hurt, all for what again? A ticket to heaven? Some future promise of a place no one has ever seen? That is pretty tough for most people to swallow. That is why chasing what we can see and feel probably seems like a better option. It used to for me…

But where does it get us? For me it was a lot less than I expected with a whole lot more problems. So then what? This is where Christ comes in. He gave us everything He had…His life. And when we stop chasing the next experience for our feelings, we can then experience the reality of Jesus. Sure, most people would say they know about Him, but how many know Him and have had a life-changing experience with and through Him?

A stronger life of faith, a closer walk with God, deeper spiritual growth, whatever you want to call it, has ONE THING and one thing only at its core…Jesus Christ. Until we make Him the “one thing” in our life, we will continue to look elsewhere…why not stop and choose Him now, it makes for a whole lot more peace in your life…and it is a whole lot less work.

…just sayin’

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat