This is the first post for my new blog, "Spiritual Equipment." My prayer is that God will use this tool to further equip you for the work He has called you to, and to help bring you to maturity, "attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11ff.)."
Let's face it, most of us spend our whole lives striving to measure up to someone's expectations. It may start out when we are young, trying to please our parents, then our teacher's, our peers, and eventually someone of the opposite gender that we find attractive. Eventually, we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to measure up in our careers. For what? What is all this striving about? What do we hope to gain? Jesus had this to say, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet foreits his soul (Matt. 16:26)?"
One of the wisest and most successful men who ever lived said that he "wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives (Eccl. 2:3)." What he eventually determined was that it was all meaningless, "a chasing after the wind," nothing could be gained unless, in their efforts, men were trying to please God.
Think about it. Read the following questions, but take the time to answer them. Who are you trying to please? What are you doing to measure up? What good will it do for you? What will you gain? What will it cost you? Now, ask yourself, "What do I really want?" "What truly matters to me."
Consider: What one thing can I do this week to re-order my life to reflect what is most important?
Most importantly, we need to consider whether God is pleased by what we have made important in our lives. In the long run, everything else is meaningless.
Godspeed, Phil
Let's face it, most of us spend our whole lives striving to measure up to someone's expectations. It may start out when we are young, trying to please our parents, then our teacher's, our peers, and eventually someone of the opposite gender that we find attractive. Eventually, we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to measure up in our careers. For what? What is all this striving about? What do we hope to gain? Jesus had this to say, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet foreits his soul (Matt. 16:26)?"
One of the wisest and most successful men who ever lived said that he "wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives (Eccl. 2:3)." What he eventually determined was that it was all meaningless, "a chasing after the wind," nothing could be gained unless, in their efforts, men were trying to please God.
Think about it. Read the following questions, but take the time to answer them. Who are you trying to please? What are you doing to measure up? What good will it do for you? What will you gain? What will it cost you? Now, ask yourself, "What do I really want?" "What truly matters to me."
Consider: What one thing can I do this week to re-order my life to reflect what is most important?
Most importantly, we need to consider whether God is pleased by what we have made important in our lives. In the long run, everything else is meaningless.
Godspeed, Phil
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