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I don’t need a spiritual coach—or do I? I’m not an outstanding golfer. I enjoy golfing, but to be candid, I’m a duffer, not a golfer. I don’t play enough to correct whatever I’m doing wrong. Super-athletes report how a coach helped them change their naïve, inhibiting habits which led them to major improvements in their game. The most common hinderance to improvement is incorrect thinking. The fact is, until a person realizes he/she must take serious initiative to practice correct habits, they will never become the hero of their dreams. Skills rarely just happen. They develop by persistently pushing to make slight improvements each week or month.

An inhibiting factor to spiritual growth is the lack of recognizing that salvation is not a onetime decision, it is a process. A good start in a race certainly helps, but does not determine the winner. Spiritual life begins BEFORE surrendering one’s life to Christ. And it is not over until one’s death or Christ returns to take them to His Heaven. Committing one’s life to Christ is a most significant mile-maker, but it is not the finish line. This commitment is not a single choice but a lifestyle. The Holy Spirit continues to fulfil His work in shaping and reshaping us until the day of salvation from sin will be complete. Our commitment requires us to continue running hard for the finish line.

Paul wrote For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing [a verb in original Greek], but to us who are being saved [a verb in original Greek] it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18, ESV). A word-picture of being saved is Jeremiah’s lesson at the potter’s house. If the clay wouldn’t adapt to what the potter wanted to shape, he would crush it and remake it into a different pot (Jeremiah 18:4, MSG). God does the same with each of us unless we are too stubborn.

If there is an imperfection in me that won’t work out, God will crush me and remake me. My stubbornness minimizes His work in my lives. But when I acknowledge and change that faulty thinking, my humility allows the Spirit to proceed in shaping me into His likeness. Along the spiritual journey, there lay strewn the discarded clay of far too many self-centered spiritual adolescents instead of moldable spiritual adults. It is only because they have embraced deceptive, unpliable thinking.

Salvation is a daily miracle requiring continual active faith. It requires being constantly attached to Christ, just as a branch is bonded to the vine.

When discouraged because you are not seeing the spiritual progress you would like, take comfort in this truth. Your salvation is a journey with every failure, disappointment, and victory serving a meaningful role—if you allow it to do so. It is healthy to look back occasionally in recent months and compare your current spiritual condition with your past. If your responses in trials, value system, way of thinking continue to reflect Jesus more clearly, then rejoice. But if you sense a nudging to recalibrate, pay attention. Paul described we are continuing to run this race until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13, NIV). …we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church (Ephesians 4:15, NLT2). We are on this journey together, so let’s do what we can to support those around us, especially when they make choices in becoming mature in Christ.

Imagine someone has been attending church for 20 years and one day they say to themselves: “I come every Sunday year after year, but I haven’t changed”. Can that be possible?

While pastoring, I discovered a spiritual survey written by Fortune 500 personnel. I had the congregation I served take this test twice, two years apart, hoping to discern the status of spiritual change within our church family. The results were the most enlightening in many ways. Perhaps the most shocking discovery for me was that we had people who had been stalled in the spiritual “babe stage” (compared to birth through age 5) for 25 years or more! And when a person is still living on milk, it shows he isn’t very far along in the Christian life [a babe] and doesn’t know much about the difference between right and wrong. He is still a baby Christian (Hebrews 5:13, TLB)! Of course, every church should have a reasonable number of new believers, but it showed we had about 25% in our church family at this stage. That meant of that 25%, over half had not changed in that many years. I was stunned and appalled!

John wrote we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16 (ESV) This refers to two separate factors, knowing and believing. Salvation occurs when a person takes knowing the facts of God’s love to the next stage of believing. Believing occurs when the person takes the next step and acts on what they know.

This distinction brings Jesus’ insightful words to mind. He said these words after referencing the context of environmental hostility among nations and the nuclear family. He also prophesied false prophets would be within the church. The provoking thought is, the one who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13, ESV). This means only those who are actively continuing in these adverse and abusive conditions to be changed into the likeness of Jesus will enter His Heaven. We find the promising factor is found in maintaining a heart that might replicate a continual altar of sacrificing self to God. He rewards those who continually strive to reflect a light, not strive to shine; but to pursue the inner passion He planted within us to be His trustworthy apprentice. In doing this, we don’t discipline ourselves to change. We change as naturally as a tomato seed evolves into producing tomatoes. It is NOT as complicated as it appears!

Studies have shown, the most dramatic change agent to becoming like Jesus is as simple (and challenging) as consistently reflecting on what the Bible tells us. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right (2 Timothy 3:16, NLT2). We don’t need all the tools a mechanic needs to fix a broken car; we only need to know and believe. That is to know how much God loves us and believe it, which means to practice what the owner’s manual teaches and empowers us to do. The priority Jesus taught us was to be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things (Matthew 6:33, TEV).

What might you see how God’s Spirit has changed you in the last 25 years? …in the recent 6-12 months?

What picture comes to your mind when you hear the words; world champions _______, celebrity _______, evil _______, power _______, or meek _______? (You fill in the blanks before you read on.) Of course, the image each of us would have will apply to how we think as an individual. It is likely that you have a different sports hero than others and whoever he/she is would pop into your mind. A different image probably comes to your mind when you hear or see the word evil or power. When I read the word meek, what pops into my mind is a very strong and well-trained racehorse. I suspect few would have that image pop into their minds.

What comes to mind when you hear the word God? Some might envision a good old grandfather type who is an easy push-over. That concept of God is there because of something you read, were taught, or deduced from all you heard about Him. For you, He is a being who is supposed to give you whatever you want or need.

The Old Testament character Job had a lofty image of God that came to his mind. But as his pain and accusative friends pressed on him, his emotional and mental image of God melted as in intense heat. This is often what happens to us today! When we become frustrated because God doesn’t do what we pray for and believe to be best, our image of God begins to show stress-cracks.

As the heated discussion between Job and his accusing friends reached its fevered peak, Job’s mental or emotional image of God began to crumble. Finally, God answered Job’s railings. He called Job’s attention to who He was as God. God’s questions forced Job to reconsider God’s awe-inspiring greatness. That encounter with the living God totally changed the image Job had of God. His image of God suddenly took on a new level of admiration. He became deeply humbled and in awe of God and said, I talked about things I did not understand, about marvels too great for me to know.  You told me to listen while you spoke and to try to answer your questions.  In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.  So, I am ashamed of all I have said and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:3a–6 GNB.

I honestly have wondered just how distorted the image of God in my mind has been. Am I awestruck when I pray, worship or otherwise enter His presence? Or do I pray, talk, or worship with a humanized, mental, and emotional image of Him?  I suspect my image of Him changes depending on my circumstances! However, that quickly switches when I redirect my mind and emotions towards God’s work in the starry universe, capacity to know, to have a unique purpose, and to communicate with each person differently. He even answers each person’s prayers according to what fits with His purpose for that individual, not according to the person’s naïve requests.

The sin-nature within each of us incessantly drags us back to seeing and thinking as Job. We can use all the theologically correct, poetically beautiful words we can create, but without the awe-factor of God glowing in what we say and do, our fine words or thoughts are nothing more than like Job’s rantings. Reconsider what your recent image of God has been. Would an encounter with God like Job had, change much about that image? What would you need to do to position yourself to experience a fresh encounter with a living God?

Are Feelings Deceptive?

I was raised in a church culture where “feelings” were believed to be the indicator of a person’s heart. One guest speaker’s fundamental motivation was to incite people to come to an altar and cry profusely. Feelings motivated other speakers just to get a large number of people to come forward at the end of her/his speaking and go through the motions of “praying the sinner’s prayer.” They would then boast of the number saved in the last service or series of services. One song sung a lot was “O Lord, send the power just now,” which usually was interpreted as experiencing a special feeling. What confused me the most is how few of those who cried profusely or came forward to be ‘saved’ or experienced some form of God’s power actually reflected a changed lifestyle or value system, that of pursuing God’s righteousness instead of their old unrighteous ways of life.

Please do not misunderstand me. I value my feelings and those of others. God gave us feelings to express our deeper emotions. But feelings, by themselves, are far less stable than the weather in Nebraska. A person can swing from ecstasy to despair and back again, all regarding the same issue, several times in a day—maybe in an hour. I used to think I encountered God’s Spirit most when I cried, but I came to realize that wasn’t true at all! Jesus heard His Father’s voice many times but rarely did he cry in those moments.

The Jews often confused their feelings with authentic faith in God and love for Him. They tore their clothes as an outward expression of sudden grief, but that display of feeling was not equal to true repentance or a broken heart.  The prophet Joel said, the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.  Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God… (Joel 2:12-13a, NLT2). You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God (Psalm 51:16-17, NLT2) to be distressed in a godly way causes people to change the way they think and act and leads them to be saved. No one can regret that. But the distress that the world causes brings only death (2 Corinthians 7:10, GW).

My outward religious expressions are fruitless unless they flow out of my inward heart, where the very fiber of who I am is transformed. Each of us deeply desires to be an authentic apprentice of Jesus. However, each of us sin more than we would like. It is what we do AFTER we sin that defines the status of our apprenticeship to Jesus. The more we humbly confess our sin to God, in contrast to glibly saying, “God will forgive me” and move on, reveals our proximity to Christ. The more I imitate Jesus, the more others will see His character and value system in me. However, it requires a lot of saying ‘No’ to our feelings in order for His character to grow deeper into our hearts. Feelings alone can deceive us to think we are better or worse than we really are.

The Bible never teaches us to trust or follow our feelings in any area of our lives. That is not His purpose for giving us the capacity of feeling. He gave us His truth to follow. He’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what GOD is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously (Micah 6:8, MSG). Paul wrote, I discipline my body (driven by feelings) like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others, I myself might be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27, NLT2).

It is disturbing to see youth raised in church slowly withdraw from God during their senior year of school. It grieves me to watch the spiritual passion in veteran clergy fade into the shadows. These former spiritual leaders morph from being enthusiastic worshipers into being complainers with fragmented passion for God. They now prefer talking more about their past activities, hobbies, or relationships than about God’s continued enlightenment or the shaping of their spiritual lives.

This slow drift isn’t a recent pattern. The Old Testament king Hezekiah heroically began his reign as king of Judah, by turning the people from worshiping false gods to worshipping the only true God. However, by the middle of his reign, his own passion for God had regressed into a passion for himself and his many accomplishments. Was this decline, as some suggest, evidence of his faith was never real? Or was it a spiritual cancer that consumes his love for God and still destroys it in lives today?

The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote, in chapter 4, of the Old Testament’s promise to the early Jews, to empower them and give them a supernatural rest. That promise excited the people for generations. However, among all the Hebrews who God miraculously delivered from their Egyptian bondage, only Joshua and Caleb and their families actually entered their promised land. That would be only two families out of millions who enjoyed God’s promise. The writer of that book revealed the reason and left a challenge to each reader through the generations.  For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Hebrews 4:2 (NIV) This means they heard and believed the message about the supernatural rest but died never experiencing it. Why? They didn’t mix their inner faith with the truth they heard. They only said they believed. Satan used disappointed expectations, giants in the land, and many distractions to rob them of what God had promised them.

Jesus prophesied more than once, all who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. John 14:23 (NLT2) Notice, He didn’t say they occasionally might do what I say. He said they will carefully watch over or guard themselves so they will conform to all Jesus taught. The Bible explains this birth of fervent desire is implanted when a person is spiritually regenerated. I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. Ezekiel 36:27 (NLT2)

Note this. The desire to follow His regulations is NOT mental gymnastics or self-discipline issues! It’s acting upon the God-given desire implanted in one’s spirit to motivate one to carefully obey Him. With that gift and empowerment, He commands each of us to simply diligently seek to know Him through His Word, pray, and serve with the abilities you do have. In doing so, the Holy Spirit within you will make us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:18b (NLT2) Did you notice this transformation is a gradual process, not instantaneous?

Whether it is youth walking away or veteran clergy having only a shell of a passion for God, losing connection with God can happen to anyone who becomes passive. If you want to avoid this slow drift, you must honestly consider this. Examine yourselves to see whether you are still in the Christian faith. Test yourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5a, GW)! If you find you have drifted away, ask the Holy Spirit to alert you to what has been distracting you from a close relationship with God. Then take the initiative to reposition yourself so you can again enjoy His close presence on a regular basis. Remember this axiom. Any dead fish can float downstream. It takes a live one to buck the current and swim upstream.

I loved being around Dave. While he was a bright, gifted man, I was most attracted to the effect he had on my thinking and my heart for God. Rod was a guy I tolerated. He, too, was bright and very talented, yet the effect he had on my thinking and attitude was not healthy. His focus was on gratifying his desires by manipulating or using people. He talked a good talk about God, but what he said sounded like a broken, clanging cymbal. Think about it. How does being around a cynical, complaining, or fault finding or rebellious person leave you? How does a grateful, joy-filled, loving, or one passionate about God leave you? Like it or not, you do affect others.

Philemon was a Bible character I want to imitate. Paul wrote of him, your love, dear brother, has brought me great joy and much encouragement! You have cheered the hearts of all of God’s people (Philemon 1:7, TEV). Did you notice that Philemon not only positively affected Paul and many other believers? He is a model for each of us! Although I sincerely desire to lift the spirit of those who need encouragement and challenge those who have become complacent about God, I have not done it enough! I’m still pressing towards that mark.

Several in the Bible were named Zechariah, but one was the least notorious. He was as ordinary as you and me. He was mentioned in the Bible because of how he affected a teenager, Uzziah. Uzziah was made king when he was 16 when his dad died. The Bible provides no information about how Zechariah connected with Uzziah. We can only speculate that when it happened, Uzziah sensed something drawing him to pay attention to Zechariah’s mentoring. This begs the question, are you and I living a life so connected to God that a spiritually hungry teenager would want to have you as his life-giving spiritual mentor? That is especially a challenge for me these days!

The Bible describes this relationship this way. As long as Zechariah, his religious adviser, was living, he served the LORD faithfully, and God blessed him (2 Chronicles 26:5, TEV). The successes King Uzziah experienced were very impressive. But did you notice things changed when Zechariah died? The Bible tells us when King Uzziah became strong, he grew arrogant, and that led to his downfall. He defied the LORD his God by going into the Temple to burn incense on the altar of incense (2 Chronicles 26:16, TEV) We see this happen in every walk of life. No one is immune. Pride tastes delightful, but is deadly. Uzziah died a horrific death because of it.

Please know, unless we intentionally mentor/coach someone’s heart or spirit, they will not have learned to know and trust a very personal God. This is a quite common mistake well-meaning, God-fearing parents make in raising their children. Unless their parents’ clear passion tutors their child’s heart for God, all the Bible or church knowledge is of little value.

This same thing happened when a priest (Jehoiada) mentored Joash, a 7-year-old boy who became king when his father died. The Bible tells us [Joash] did what was pleasing to the LORD as long as Jehoiada the priest was alive. 2 Chronicles 24:2 (TEV) He too was successful at first. However, when Jehoiada dies, the direction of the nation soon went south.

Looking back, I wish I had worked harder at discipling hearts instead of indoctrinating the mind and behavior of others. I have found GREAT comfort in those whose hearts I was able to shape. They have been faithful, to God alone be the glory. I only wish I would have been able to affect more hearts. How intentional have you been in affecting the hearts of those around you to love God with ALL their hearts?

How do you find yourself responding to all this talk about discrimination these days? It has expanded far beyond racial issues and now includes gender, religious, ethnic, social status, financial, sexual, and the list goes on. Our culture is being victimized by politicians seeking power or others with immoral agendas. It feels as though we are in an earthquake triggered by intense competition between parties seeking the largest market share of public opinion. It reminds me of high school and college days when students competed by searching to find an emotionally charged, controversial issue to publicize their name. This harmless learning exercise temporarily divided the student body until someone was elected. Today, that same process has evolved to the place it is no longer just a person being elected. It is over ideologies to be forced upon our culture.  Today, it has become disgustingly hostile and seriously divisive. Instead of resolving errant biases, it is crushing our democracy.

What exactly is discrimination? It is to treat another person differently or less favorably for some reason. I find it interesting that the theory of evolution in nature is based on survival of the fittest, which is discrimination against the weakest. Medicine is all about discriminating against sickness or the least effective medicine. It begs the question then, does God discriminate? The answer to that question depends upon the perspective.

The Bible tells us God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11, ESV). Another translation of that verse reads, For God judges everyone by the same standard (Romans 2:11, TEV). This could mean God is very open-minded and inclusive. But is He? The Bible says, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16, NLT2). Everyone is very inclusive word. But what happens to inclusiveness when you add the qualifying words who believes in him? Isn’t there a form of discrimination in the fact God doesn’t treat those who don’t believe in Him the same way He does those who do? Jesus, the Son of God, explicitly stated, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6, NLT2). That is discriminating against all other gods or religious leaders. However, this discrimination is not about race, gender, sexual preference or personal perspective. Each person will stand before Him on level ground. There, He will hold each person accountable for their personal choices while on living on this earth.

The most remarkable thing is, God is not just inviting each human to make a hard choice. He offers the same incentive to each person who chooses to believe in Him. He offers an intimate friendship with Him, the Lord of Host, Almighty God, Creator of all the galaxies of the universe and every inanimate and animate animal and human. That blows the circuits in my finite mind! That would be exceedingly better than being intimate friends with the most powerful world leader, wealthiest man/woman, or most esteemed celebrity. And as His very close friend, just being in that tight relationship over time, He literally transforms how we think, what we value and how we behave into being like Jesus while He lived on this earth.

All this comes with authentically believing and trusting His truth, wisdom, and knowledge instead of being governed by our own independence. As we approach Good Friday and Easter, it is a vivid picture of what must happen to each person when they encounter Christ. We are called to vicariously die to our self-centered thinking along with Jesus dying on the cross. AND vicariously come out of the grave with Him into a new way of living on this earth. Just as the cross had to precede coming out of the grave, so our death to self must precede His life being planted within us. The way you know this transition has occurred is the desires within you have begun to change. As you simply follow those deep desires to love and obey Him, you will continue to die to more and more of your old way of thinking and behaving. This transformation is so significant. He offers this only to those who chose to fully believe, love and follow Him.

Have you noticed how people will do crazy, torturous things if they perceive the rewards to be attractive enough?  Jesus endured the despicable treatment in Passion week because He looked from a different perspective than the average person. Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2, ESV).

No normal, healthy female would go through the agony of giving birth to a child if she didn’t first anticipate the joys of having a child of her own. The Bible uses the word “travail” to describe all that goes into having a baby AND raising that child to be a respectable adult. It is the perspective that makes travail endurable—even joyful satisfaction.

The Bible (King James Version) used that word describing Jesus when He died to give birth to a new creation of humanity. The New Living Translation puts that verse this way; it was the LORD’s [God’s] good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. Isaiah 53:10-11 (NLT2) These profound words would require far more time and words to more fully understand, so I will only highlight a few of them.

Jesus saw all His anguish accomplished and was satisfied! Keep in mind, His anguish was NOT limited to the cross. Every parent has learned that parenting doesn’t stop with giving birth! It is a far deeper pain when parents, after having given boundless love, to then watch their child make a horrible choice or reject them. I deeply regret the anguish I repeatedly put God through each time He assigned me a task because I had a different perspective than He had. I did not think my gifting fit the assignment. Has He had to agonize with your independence and disrespect after He has given so much to you?

 Try to imagine God’s anguish after providing so much for the Hebrews, yet they rebelliously served other gods. The prophet Hosea described God’s response saying, “Ephraim mixes [to become one with the world’s culture/lose most essential distinctions in the mixing] with other nations. Ephraim, you are like a half-baked loaf of bread (Hosea 7:8 (GW)! It is no wonder Paul warned us don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2, NLT2). Ask yourself, Lord, am I like Ephraim, an unfinished product, a disgrace to Your name, an unstable man who cannot seem to make the grade? Or, can You display me as proudly as You did Job when You said, have you considered my servant Job? (Job 1:8). Do you need to look at yourself from a different perspective so that you can bring pleasure to God as your children bring pleasure to you?

Do the words “I’m sorry” consistently represent how a person feels when they use those words? While parents or an authority often force children to say those words, saying them doesn’t mean they feel it. By the time they are adults, they often use that phrase to appease or otherwise get what they want. So, how does a person know if those who verbalize those words mean them or if they are only using them to appease others? There is something mystical about discerning authenticity.

Authenticity means to be true to your core values, personality, and inner being convictions regardless of adverse circumstances or social pressure. A discerning person will sense if a person is repeating what they’ve learned to say to get what they want, or if their words align with their inner convictions. Those who heard Jesus sensed this invisible virtue in Him because they said He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes (Matthew 7:29, ESV). This raises an important question we need to ask ourselves. Do those I encounter sense I am an authentic person, not just in what I say, but in who I am as an individual? Could it be I was authentic, but somewhere along the line, I lost it?

It has intrigued me as I’ve examined King Hezekiah. In the first half of his kingship, he was superhero of spiritual life and leadership. At age 25, after his father had led the people away from loving and serving God, Hezekiah led a stunning spiritual reform among those in his kingdom. Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses. So the LORD was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did (2 Kings 18:5-7a, NLT2).  To be candid, that has been my overall perception of him. However, I discovered something happened within himself that resulted in a not so good last half of his life.

He continued saying and doing the right things, but spiritual cancer of some sort ate away his authenticity. Eventually, while his spiritual life continued to sound and look reasonably healthy, his spiritual life actually sounded as a hollow empty 50-gallon barrel. But Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So, the LORD’s anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 32:25 (NLT2). It also says he knew he had crossed the line with God and therefore essentially said “I’m sorry” but his subsequent choices revealed this response lacked authenticity. After Isaiah the prophet informed him of God’s strong judgement on his subsequent choices, there was no remorse. Instead, Hezekiah said to Isaiah, this message you have given me from the LORD is good. For the king was thinking, “At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime (Isaiah 39:8, NLT2).

Like cancer, pride first hollowed out his authenticity until he knew what was right, but had spiritually disengaged. Eventually, that leads to being a Christ-follower in name only. This alerted me to how easily I could begin to subconsciously claim past ministry accomplishments as my own—and in doing so, not even realize I had lost my spiritual authenticity. Without that, I would be like a noisy gong or clanging cymbal (1 Cor. 13:1b, NLT2). I don’t know how that possibility affects you, but for me, it motivates me to give myself more to loving and knowing God better through His Word. Jesus said the one who endures to the end will be saved (Matt. 24:13 (ESV). I look forward to hearing Christ say to me, Well done, good and faithful servant (Matt. 25:23a, ESV).

I’m facing a dentist appointment and four different doctors’ appointments in the next 10 days! Ugh! I hear and understand what the doctors tell me I should do, but I don’t always do what they say. How about you? Most of us already know far more than what we practice. Our follow-through depends on two factors. First is the level of respect we have for the person giving the directions. Second, it depends on the perceived severity of the consequences for not following the directions. If we have low respect or are unconvinced of the negative consequences of not obeying the direction, we make pathetic attempts to follow their directions or just ignore them.

Those factors also play out in how we respond to God and His Word. If we are in awe of God, His truth and emotionally accept His great love for us, we are far more insistent on examining what the Bible says and walking out what He teaches us in His Word. Conversely, if we see God as a grandfatherly figure in the sky whose love we do not feel and who indiscriminately gives bountiful grace when we disobey, we will do what we want rather than what God wants. This is true even though we have made vows to love and obey Him. What might your follow-through suggest about how much awe and respect and love you have for Him?

Exactly what has God asked of us and how have we responded? The apostle Paul prayed for believers to be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:9-10, ESV). Jesus defined His expectations by saying, I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than [exceeds] the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:20, NLT2)! The righteousness of the Pharisees consisted of carefully practicing outward observances of the ceremonial and traditional law. They offered sacrifices, fasted often, prayed much, were very meticulous about religious cleansings, paying tithes, and faithfully attended all religious ceremonies. HOW can a person be expected to be more righteous than that?

God is looking at the heart, the why factor, NOT the righteous deeds. The why factor changes everything in God’s economy. Therefore, those who live a righteous life because they love and believe God is God far surpass the works of the religious leaders! Again, it is not what you do that impresses God; it is why you do it. But that right motive can easily melt down and evaporate!

Hezekiah, an admirable king of Judah, began being driven by a strong passion for God. The Spirit then enabled him to accomplish incredible spiritual changes in the nation. His success went to his head. He became proud of his accomplishments and loved the people’s accolades. Later, when he became deathly sick, Isaiah, the prophet, warned him to prepare to die. Hezekiah’s subsequent prayer (2 Kings 20:3) revealed how spiritual pride had so twisted his thinking that he now expected his good works to have earned God’s favor. The motives of his heart had become like that of the religious leaders mentioned above. Success can be like a deceptive Trojan Horse that secretly gets into our unguarded computer and devastates it.

When you are alert and know what the perpetrator is, you CAN exceed the righteousness of the religious leaders by practicing what God’s Word teaches. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life (Proverbs 4:23 (NLT2) Protect it from pride (self-righteousness) by seeking to know and love God more than you did three months ago. This is how to be proactive and meet God’s expectations for you. You CAN do it.

If you recognize you have left your first sense of awe and respect for God, don’t beat yourself up. Simply allow it to humble you and motivate you to turn around and seek a fresh revelation of the triune Godhead.