“Pure and undefiled religion
before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their
trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”—James 1:27
If you want to genuinely grow in
spiritual maturity, it is not enough to simply be instructed by the Word of
God. You may love going to church or
listening to Christian radio or television programs. You might talk about everything you hear and
assume that you are growing because your knowledge is increasing. However, if you do not actually grow closer
to God by allowing His Word to change you from the inside out, your head will
merely continue to fill with information.
You might even sound like a godly person who is admired for the ability
to quote chapter and verse. But if you
do not take the next step and allow God to touch others’ lives through you, you
are missing the point.
Spiritual
growth is the result of practicing the truth you receive from God. He wants you to give away what He give to
you—that is, by loving and serving others and sharing the truth of the
gospel. Our example is Jesus, who said
that He did not come to be served, but to serve even the lowest outcast of
society. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to
give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). He could have exalted Himself and spent
all His time preaching and teaching.
Instead, Jesus did only the Father’s will, which was to reveal His heart
of love to a broken world. The Lord
sacrificially involved Himself in people’s lives, and He calls us to follow in
His footsteps.
God’s plan is to reach the world
though you. If that were not the case,
He would have taken you to heaven as soon as you were born again. But you are here for a purpose—to live out
Christ’s life alongside hurting people who desperately need to experience His
love.
Prayer—Father
thank You for helping me today to reach someone who needs to experience Your
love, in Jesus Name. Amen.s
