That We May Have Life
Posted: July 16th, 2008, 2:40 am
HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #125a Written 15JUL08 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw
Spiritual Survival: Part One—That We May Have Life
by rev dave c
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (Jn 10:10b; NKJV).
Even as very young, I noticed that whenever I visited a doctor and for whatever reason, the visit began with medical personnel first checking my weight, my heart rate, and my respiration. Even though I might have been there for a persistent sore throat, the doctor was interested in the condition of my general health regarding critical functions. Some years back a pastor told me that he had developed the practice of similarly first asking four basic questions whenever a Christian approached him for counseling: 1) “Do you pray daily to your Heavenly Father concerning all things?” 2) “Do you read Scripture every day and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the Word to you?” 3) “Do you attend a Bible believing, Christ centered church regularly?” 4) “Do you surround yourself with Christian friends and family?” If the person seeking help answered, “No”, to any of these questions, he asked the man or woman to first correct the areas where they were falling short, then return to him should their problems persist.
This pastor had wisely recognized that many of the problems—much of the emotional, mental, social, and even financial and physical suffering—encountered by each of us is rooted in our failure to routinely maintain good spiritual habits. His check list for spiritual health has remained near the surface of my thoughts for many years. I have come to understand that these four points are not merely good suggestions for Christian self-improvement (anymore than breathing, drinking, resting, and eating are just good ideas), they are absolutely essential. Just as there are basic biological requirements if life is to be sustained physiologically, there are also requirements to be maintained if we are to have healthy spiritual lives that are growing inwardly and upwardly.
Whenever my spiritual life is lacking growth, or has slipped from where it once was, I should be asking myself each of those four questions. Likewise, once the salvation issue is settled, they should be my first questions of others who are seeking help. It continues to amaze me how much is revealed by assessing where we are in terms of prayer, reading the Word, Church attendance, and fellowshipping. I am not so simple as to think that these questions are a fix-all diagnostic tool for every situation, but they do serve to eliminate the obvious from consideration while trying to find causes for spiritual struggles. On the other hand, if I decide to flagrantly ignore any of these four essentials from our almighty Creator and faithful Sustainer, then I must understand that there will be dire consequences. No ‘ifs’, no ‘ands’, and no ‘buts’.
All who are reasonable recognize that the drive for air, water, rest, and food is not based on our desire to possess a better life, rather these basic elements of existence are crucial to physical life itself. If you agree that the Bible teaches that the spiritual world is greater than the material in that our current bodies (and this Heaven and Earth) are condemned to destruction, whereas all that is spiritual is eternal—then you should also recognize not just the need for prayer, study of Scripture, Church attendence, and daily fellowship with believers, but their absolute necessity. I am frequently tempted to downgrade these spiritual requirements in my own estimation to the level of “really good suggestions”. Like the Ten Commandments, however, God did not ask my opinion. The bottom line is found in Romans 9:20 where the Apostle Paul asks us, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? (NIV).
In order for our physical bodies to survive, we must have ready access to air, water, rest, and food. I can hold my breath for a minute or two. I can go without water for a few days. I can exist for some time without sleep. I can fast from eating for a week. I can do each of these things, but in the process I very quickly become uncomfortable and, as the need becomes urgent, I become desperate. Should the absence of any of these essentials continue, I would suffer physical (and probably mental) damage. The inevitable result of extended deprivation is death.
Counterpart to our physical needs, the Bible establishes spiritual necessities not to be ignored lest we perish in our relationship with Christ and His Bride, the Church. Firstly, air is most immediately critical for life—in the same way we are told to pray to God continuously. Secondly, water sustains, refreshes, and cleanses us—as does our daily reading of the Word. Thirdly, we must experience rest on a regular basis if we are to maintain physical and mental health—likewise, Scripture is replete with expressions of need for the Sabbath rest in the midst of God’s people. Fourthly, we must regularly eat good food that literally becomes the substance of our physical bodies—in the same manner, we require regular fellowship with Jesus as the Bread of Life that was broken for us individually, and that we are to share in common fellowship with His Body.
My goal for this series is to compare the metaphoric associations between breathing and prayer, our need for water and the Word, the requirement for both bodily and spiritual rest, and our quest for food and fellowship. Additionally, we will take a look at our desire for stimulation, our attempts to reproduce ourselves, and our longing for transcendence as secondary, but no less essential motivators in our drive for survival personally and as a society—whether that society is sacred, or humanisticly profane.
Spiritual Survival: Part One—That We May Have Life
by rev dave c
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (Jn 10:10b; NKJV).
Even as very young, I noticed that whenever I visited a doctor and for whatever reason, the visit began with medical personnel first checking my weight, my heart rate, and my respiration. Even though I might have been there for a persistent sore throat, the doctor was interested in the condition of my general health regarding critical functions. Some years back a pastor told me that he had developed the practice of similarly first asking four basic questions whenever a Christian approached him for counseling: 1) “Do you pray daily to your Heavenly Father concerning all things?” 2) “Do you read Scripture every day and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the Word to you?” 3) “Do you attend a Bible believing, Christ centered church regularly?” 4) “Do you surround yourself with Christian friends and family?” If the person seeking help answered, “No”, to any of these questions, he asked the man or woman to first correct the areas where they were falling short, then return to him should their problems persist.
This pastor had wisely recognized that many of the problems—much of the emotional, mental, social, and even financial and physical suffering—encountered by each of us is rooted in our failure to routinely maintain good spiritual habits. His check list for spiritual health has remained near the surface of my thoughts for many years. I have come to understand that these four points are not merely good suggestions for Christian self-improvement (anymore than breathing, drinking, resting, and eating are just good ideas), they are absolutely essential. Just as there are basic biological requirements if life is to be sustained physiologically, there are also requirements to be maintained if we are to have healthy spiritual lives that are growing inwardly and upwardly.
Whenever my spiritual life is lacking growth, or has slipped from where it once was, I should be asking myself each of those four questions. Likewise, once the salvation issue is settled, they should be my first questions of others who are seeking help. It continues to amaze me how much is revealed by assessing where we are in terms of prayer, reading the Word, Church attendance, and fellowshipping. I am not so simple as to think that these questions are a fix-all diagnostic tool for every situation, but they do serve to eliminate the obvious from consideration while trying to find causes for spiritual struggles. On the other hand, if I decide to flagrantly ignore any of these four essentials from our almighty Creator and faithful Sustainer, then I must understand that there will be dire consequences. No ‘ifs’, no ‘ands’, and no ‘buts’.
All who are reasonable recognize that the drive for air, water, rest, and food is not based on our desire to possess a better life, rather these basic elements of existence are crucial to physical life itself. If you agree that the Bible teaches that the spiritual world is greater than the material in that our current bodies (and this Heaven and Earth) are condemned to destruction, whereas all that is spiritual is eternal—then you should also recognize not just the need for prayer, study of Scripture, Church attendence, and daily fellowship with believers, but their absolute necessity. I am frequently tempted to downgrade these spiritual requirements in my own estimation to the level of “really good suggestions”. Like the Ten Commandments, however, God did not ask my opinion. The bottom line is found in Romans 9:20 where the Apostle Paul asks us, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? (NIV).
In order for our physical bodies to survive, we must have ready access to air, water, rest, and food. I can hold my breath for a minute or two. I can go without water for a few days. I can exist for some time without sleep. I can fast from eating for a week. I can do each of these things, but in the process I very quickly become uncomfortable and, as the need becomes urgent, I become desperate. Should the absence of any of these essentials continue, I would suffer physical (and probably mental) damage. The inevitable result of extended deprivation is death.
Counterpart to our physical needs, the Bible establishes spiritual necessities not to be ignored lest we perish in our relationship with Christ and His Bride, the Church. Firstly, air is most immediately critical for life—in the same way we are told to pray to God continuously. Secondly, water sustains, refreshes, and cleanses us—as does our daily reading of the Word. Thirdly, we must experience rest on a regular basis if we are to maintain physical and mental health—likewise, Scripture is replete with expressions of need for the Sabbath rest in the midst of God’s people. Fourthly, we must regularly eat good food that literally becomes the substance of our physical bodies—in the same manner, we require regular fellowship with Jesus as the Bread of Life that was broken for us individually, and that we are to share in common fellowship with His Body.
My goal for this series is to compare the metaphoric associations between breathing and prayer, our need for water and the Word, the requirement for both bodily and spiritual rest, and our quest for food and fellowship. Additionally, we will take a look at our desire for stimulation, our attempts to reproduce ourselves, and our longing for transcendence as secondary, but no less essential motivators in our drive for survival personally and as a society—whether that society is sacred, or humanisticly profane.