Category: Imitation of Christ

spiritual profits

Spiritual Investments Produce Astonishing Profit

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It is the end of the day and you are tired. You rest for a few minutes. Your mind wanders and you realize you are thinking mostly about food and buying a new car. You haven’t really thought about your connection to God. It would be good to get alone and pray for five minutes but that means making a little sacrifice. Do you go to pray…? The riches of the world are nothing compared to riches of heaven. If we have a moderate share of worldly things then we have enough wealth. Any more than that produces materialism and anxiety. As we develop a heavenly mindset we see how twisted people become as they fall in love with the riches of the world. Even all the necessities of life – eating, drinking, working, finding shelter – are a burden compared to the joy and lightness of our future to Continue Reading →

sorrow for sin

Finding Holiness Through Sorrow

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If we preserve proper respect for God and His instructions then we will also preserve our spiritual growth. This means choosing a remorseful heart when we sin. It is easy for some of us to allow too much freedom to the point that we follow destructive passions instead of a disciplined heart. Make it a practice to ask God for a holy heart, and for a sorrowful heart when you sin. After Paul corrected the Corinthians he wrote: “Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal.” I Cor. 7:11 (NLT)  Be careful not to take unholiness too lightly. Do not laugh when you should mourn. Remember the words of James: “your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and Continue Reading →

solitude

Solitude Transforms Us

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At first, solitude may feel monotonous or like a heavy burden. If you seek out spiritual guidance and patiently practice it, then in time solitude becomes a close friend. Then our soul has developed an important spiritual affection. If we don’t persevere in solitude until it becomes natural for us then it will always feel like an unpleasant task. In solitude we learn to take our sins seriously and view them as God does. If we tend to overlook our sins, solitude gives us time to feel the proper remorse. Every sin is a sin against a relationship. Should God grant us spiritual sweetness if we are not remorseful about our sins? In solitude we remember that the distractions of the world will all turn to dust. In solitude we have time to fully absorb God’s word. Solitude and the word equip us to minister to others. Does it please Continue Reading →

exercise

Activating Our New Will

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Do you find that you lack willpower to make the godly choices you want to make? Do you find yourself repeating the same fault over and over? Perhaps your willpower needs some exercise. When God gave us a new birth this included a new will. Just as our new mind and new affections should grow spiritually stronger so too should our new will. Every part of us should grow more Christlike. If we sharpen our resolve to overcome the Enemy and to control our destructive desires, then we will soon find victory over temptations to our flesh. In this battle it is helpful to avoid wasteful activities and instead make good use of our time by pursuing activities that edify ourselves or others. Also, spiritual disciplines will produce solid growth of our new will. But we must remember to depend on the Spirit as we exercise our new will (Rom. Continue Reading →

reflection, meditaiton

Habits For Growth: Encouragement, Commitment, & Self-examination

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Our inner virtues should match our outward appearance. This is not just for the benefit of others but also because God knows our hearts and judges our lives accordingly. Thus, we need to take care to walk pure in His presence just as the angels do. Daily spiritual habits will protect our growth. Each day we ought to encourage our hearts to be zealous for God and not lose our first love. Pray “God help me to keep my commitments and serve You faithfully today. Give me grace to love you well today. Change my inner self into the image of Christ.” Our progress will depend on how well we fulfill our responsibilities before the Lord. God keeps His responsibility; we only falter when we fail to keep ours. Thus our hearts must be fully committed each day. Even those who wholeheartedly commit themselves to God fall short sometimes; how Continue Reading →