KEEP RUNNING THE RACE
04th Jul 2018
The Apostle Paul had a big heart, a father’s heart towards the young churches, made up of individuals who had mainly come to faith through his ministry. In 1 Thessalonians 2:7 he describes his love in motherhood terms “we loved you”; we were not just content to pass on the message, but we wanted to give you our hearts, and we did. He often uses terms such as, “I have you in my heart”; he wanted the best for his friends and it was out of this deep love that he also warned and corrected them.
Reading Ephesians 4 recently I could sense Paul’s longing to make sure the people he cares for were also moving forward, journeying to maturity in Christ and not getting sidetracked into meaningless activity, or strolling down some path leading nowhere. At times we need to take stock, look carefully at our lives and question ourselves about our walk with God.
In Ephesians 4:13 Paul encourages us to become fully mature adults, developed within and without, fully alive in Christ. He urges us not to prolong infancy, but to pass through into healthy growing up, constantly maturing. We should all be able to look back and see change and growth from this time last year. If we can’t, then stop now and ask the Holy Spirit to show you what is going on.
I also have many people in my heart, and I’m encouraged as I see them growing in their personal faith and their walk with God. Others seem to have fallen into the categories Jesus warned about in the parable of the sower. I see many whose passion for Jesus and spiritual growth has been stunted or stopped by weeds, crowded out by life’s worries, or the desire to make money and have fun!
My heart aches for such people, knowing that once the enemy has a foothold, it leads to an isolation from the body of Christ, and a return to self effort rather than Holy Spirit resources.
Paul reminded the Galatian Church to remember how they began their walk with Christ, relying on the Holy Spirit. John reminds the Ephesians not to forsake their first love. Others are warned not to waste time on trivia, but rather to regain a passion for Jesus and catch His heart for a very lost world.
Check your growth, are you feeding on the Word, fellowshipping with believers and still have a heart for those without personal faith?
by Joyce Sibthorpe
