Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it (1Timothy 4:7-9 - New Living Translation)
Your natural life is a direct reflection of your spiritual condition. What you are on the outside is the result of who you are within. The mental habits that you have spill over into every crevice of life, both natural and spiritual.
Our outward world parallels our inner world. When you make strides toward God, and increase in spirituality, there should also be a change in natural behavior, or it’s not true spiritual increase!
If you’re late for work, you’ll also be late in being faithful to a ministry obligation. If you’re not passionate about natural life responsibilities, you won’t be passionate about spiritual responsibilities. If you see no value in obeying natural law, you may show the same disrespect for spiritual authority. IF you’re a lazy bones naturally, and find it hard to get motivated to perform, you’ll be lazy bones spiritually and will lack spiritual passion.
If I look in your car and see all kinds of debris in the floorboard and seats, it tells me that you don’t value excellence, and you’ll be prone to under perform spiritually! If I walk into your home and it’s consistently untidy, that tells a lot about your values. Excellence starts with thinking, and will filter into all we are and do.
When God started the process of changing my life with His Word, my natural life began to feel the pressure to change! And it’s been changing ever since!
When I’m looking for those to help me in ministry, I look at these natural areas first. You can pray fervently, shout loudly, and preach like you’re spitting cotton! But if natural things don’t sing the same song, it’s all a bluff!
Give yourself a check-up today. What’s your natural life saying about what you value right now. Remember, your natural life is a direct reflection of your spiritual condition.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Natural Life Reflects Spiritual Condition
Posted on Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 9:17 AM by Pastor Mitch
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I am curious as to see where you come up with the point that the natural reflects the spiritual. Are there any scriptures to back that up. Also in the Word we are told that god doesn't use the outward to judge but he heart. How does this come into the above. Corinthians tells us to know no man after the flesh, How do we gauge people off their vehicles or desk and see their godliness? I am not argueing but only looking for clarity on what you have posted.
ReplyDeleteProverbs 23:7 reads: As a man thinks in his heart, so is he...or what we are inside is revealed by outward behavior. As the Word of God reorients our thoughts and priorities, how we do life also changes. That is the point I was making. Having said all of that, differently personalities do life differently and from different angles. Outward habits are created by repetition, and can change as we grow in God. I don't recommend taking this idea so literally that we condemn ourselves. Rather, use it as a gauge as to where you are now in your journey, and where you want to be in the future. The way I do life has changed over the years as responsibilities have increased, demanding time and energy. And I had to make decisions along the way as to how my lifestyle represented the Lord. I am a pastor, I live in a "fishbowl" so to speak, and people watch to see if I live what I preach. That idea alone has moved me through the years to adapt my habits to reflect my relationship with Jesus.
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