My growth group is studying through The Life You've Always Wanted by John Ortberg, who's a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church. And in this book the author has presented a familiar truth in a fresh way. Let me pass it along...Spiritual disciples are to life what practice is to an athlete. An athlete practices so that he can perform during the game. If his practice doesn't help him peform better in the game then what's the use? Similarly, a Christian practices spiritual disciplines (such as prayer, Bible reading, church going, giving, etc.) in order to love God and people better. If the practice of those disciplines aren't resulting in more love for God expressed through loving actions towards others, then what's the use? The disciplines are a means to an end, not an end in and of themselves.
Yet, some so called "Christians" are the crankiest, judgmental, condesending people around. This should NOT be so. So what if they go to church, read their Bible, give in the offering, etc. If they don't show their love to God by demostrating loving actions towards others, they've really missed the point.
Spiritual maturity is measured by God by how much we love him and others. Our love for God should always be expressed through loving actions towards others. Specifically, God measures our spirituality by how 1) kind and 2) patient we are with others. Because love is both patient and kind (I Corinthians 13:1).
So I think we all need to ask ourselves: Are the spiritual disciplines I'm practicing resulting in me being more loving to God and to others? As a result of my spiritual disciplines am I growing in my patience and kindness towards others? If the answer of either of these questions is "no" then you need to ask yourself "What will I do about this?"
This book and the conversations really hit me last night. One of the biggest changes that I have made since joining my walk with God is that I am less judgemental of others. I use to hold "sins" against everyone else, but not myself. I have a person in my past that has hurt me tremendously and I kept trying to "hurt" them back. Now I learn to forgive the "sins" of others because I know my God forgives me. I don't always do it immediately, but in the end I do - if it's a minute of pain or maybe a day of pain sometimes that it takes me to realize what I am doing, in the end I forgive this person or any person because I know it's the right thing to do and my God knows how much he has forgiven me...
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