(Adapted from my cell group leader's sharing on 13 November 2009)
Spiritual maturity is not a matter of Age, Appearance or Achievement.
The 5 marks of spiritual maturity are:
1. Staying Positive under Pressure
Our true grit shows up, or shall i say, "Throws up" when we come under pressure. This is the real us when the pressure cooker of life heats up. Can we take the heat or as James 1:2,3 says to count it all joy when our faith is tried? The refining fire will accomplish its work, burning away the chaff so that only the gold will remain.
2. Sensitive to the Needs of Others
Are we growing in our capacity to consider and/or care for the needs of others? As they say, all men are brothers. We may belong to a singular race, but is compassion or indifference our modus operandi? Consider 1 John 3:17 (KJV), "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? "
3. A Peacemaker and not a Troublemaker
Let the Peace of Christ abides in us and let us hold up God's word as a mirror to our soul. So, please stop comparing ourselves with others and stop coveting that which belongs to another man. Afterall, all that we have comes from God and we cannot receive anything which has not been given to us by God. In gist, Walk in Love and Humility.
4. Patient
A mature person is patient; he has learnt to endure and keep trusting God. He has eyes of faith (vision) and a courageous heart (hope). Ultimately, as James 5:7, 8 tells us, we are to be patient unto the coming of the LORD.
5. Prayerful
Do we fret over our health, relationships, finances and other issues of life? Or, do we as a matter of faith in action pray through the things that matter to us so that the kingdom of God may be established in our sphere of influence?
Life is more than just earning good marks and scoring points. When we cultivate spiritual maturity by allowing God to mold and shape us for His glory, we are merely doing what our Maker already knows is the best plan He has for us.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
What to look for in a husband #2
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A HUSBAND
One of the scarcity of life is time -- we've only so much time left to live before we call it a day, so to speak. Given that time is relatively short in the history of humanity, it doesn't really make much of a difference whether we're thinking short-, medium- or long-term.
Notwithstanding the aforesaids, we are wise to make the most of the little time that we have (and go get a husband in the process). And, wise is the husband who numbers his day; mindful that his life is in God's hand. Like a candle whose time is pre-determined; a time to be born, and a time to meet one's Maker.
The book of Proverbs imparts to us that the fear of the LORD our Maker is the beginning of wisdom and pride comes before a fall.
So, I would think that HUMILITY is a critical value to look for in a husband. To put it mildly, you don't want him to be proud or prideful so much so that he 'hastens' his own earthly departure. Rather, he would live his life circumspectly; knowing his speck-space in this vast universe of God, and esteeming others better than himself, just like Jesus Christ.
You would want him to be rich towards God and have a purpose that is beyond his self-centredness. A man who live for your betterment and much more, besides, because he has the attitude of serving His God and his fellows.
One of the scarcity of life is time -- we've only so much time left to live before we call it a day, so to speak. Given that time is relatively short in the history of humanity, it doesn't really make much of a difference whether we're thinking short-, medium- or long-term.
Notwithstanding the aforesaids, we are wise to make the most of the little time that we have (and go get a husband in the process). And, wise is the husband who numbers his day; mindful that his life is in God's hand. Like a candle whose time is pre-determined; a time to be born, and a time to meet one's Maker.
The book of Proverbs imparts to us that the fear of the LORD our Maker is the beginning of wisdom and pride comes before a fall.
So, I would think that HUMILITY is a critical value to look for in a husband. To put it mildly, you don't want him to be proud or prideful so much so that he 'hastens' his own earthly departure. Rather, he would live his life circumspectly; knowing his speck-space in this vast universe of God, and esteeming others better than himself, just like Jesus Christ.
You would want him to be rich towards God and have a purpose that is beyond his self-centredness. A man who live for your betterment and much more, besides, because he has the attitude of serving His God and his fellows.
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