Thursday, December 04, 2008
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We Need Others To Grow
Alan Riley
"Taking Stock" is an interesting phrase that has its origins in the 1730s. The
Oxford English Dictionary says that "to take stock" means "to make a careful
estimate of one's position with regard to resources, prospects, or the like."
This week in our Daily Devotionals, our topic has been "Examine Yourself." We
have been talking about the need to regularly and honestly take stock of
our prospects and resources in the spiritual realm. After
Tuesday's devotional
("Time For a Check Up?") was published, I received a number of e-mails asking
essentially the same question: How do I go about performing a spiritual check
up? The answer to that question is simple: Do do the job right, you need a
"second opinion!"
We sometimes confuse the fact that we are personally responsible for our own
spiritual growth with some notion that we don't need others
The Apostle Paul said we are to "work out our own salvation with fear and
trembling." (Philippians 2:12) That doesn't mean our salvation is based on works
or on what I do. Salvation is the free gift of God and there is nothing you or
I can do to earn it or deserve it. What that verse means is that you and
I are responsible for our own spiritual growth.
Your pastor is not responsible for your spiritual growth. You are. Your
Sunday School or small group leader is not responsible for your spiritual
growth.
You are. Your spouse is not responsible for you growing in the Lord - that's
your job!
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Here's the good news: While you are ultimately responsible for your own
spiritual growth, you don't have to do it by yourself. In fact, you can't do it
by yourself! You need the instruction, encouragement, edification and insight
of others in order to become all that God intends you to be. There are things
you don't know, experiences you haven't had, mistakes you haven't made and
insights you haven't yet gleaned from the Word, and you need others to share
these things with you. There is no such thing as a "Lone Ranger" Christian!
Have you seen the commercial where a doctor is trying to talk a patient through
surgery on the phone? "Now make a 3-inch incision just above the forth
rib..." the surgeon says as the perplexed patient is sitting at his kitchen
table holding a butter knife. "Shouldn't you be doing this?" the patient asks.
The commercial uses that outrageous scenario to make the point that there are
some things that we just can not and should not do for ourselves.
Let's face it: when it comes to seeing ourselves honestly, we are not
qualified. We tend to either see ourselves as better than we actually are or
we are
too hard on ourselves and see ourselves as less than we really are. Robert
Burns, the renowned Scottish poet once wrote, "O the gift that God would give
us, to see ourselves as others see us." He's right, you know. It is very,
very difficult for us to objective about ourselves. That is why we need the
people who know us best and love us most to help us in the process of becoming
the man or woman of God that He intends for us to be.
Who are those people in your life? Are you leaning on them for advice, support
and encouragement? Are you asking them to make sure you are aware of "blind
spots" in your life that can hinder your growth or compromise your witness?
You need those people to grow in your walk with the Lord!
Alan Riley
O. Addison Gethers
e-mail address : [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
window live messenger: [EMAIL PROTECTED] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62
yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS
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