May 24, 2019 – Click here to listen
Most everyone wants to get as far as possible in life. Some among us work hard with amazing self-discipline and achieve tremendous feats in sports, business, arts and entertainment, education, science, and a myriad of other interests. There are those of us who try to attain the ultimate in spirituality. No matter their dedication and hard work those who attempt this simply cannot succeed – on their own.
C.S. Lewis summed this up nicely when he wrote:
“If He does not support us, not one of us is safe from some gross sin. On the other hand, no possible degree of holiness or heroism which has ever been recorded of the greatest saints is beyond what He is determined to produce in every one of us in the end. The job will not be completed in this life: but He means to get us as far as possible before death.”
I was studying the Book of Acts this morning and Peter saw a lame man and said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” A great crowd gathered around him and without hesitation Peter deflected any credit for making this man walk. Instead he gave all the credit to God.
Though it seems like a small thing, the humility shown by Peter in directing the attention for the miracle away from himself and directly to God, is so unnatural for so many who try and take credit for God’s miracles working in their lives. He wanted Jesus to have all of the credit and this remained his mantra for his entire ministry. Thus, our struggle to achieve some degree of holiness must begin with humility.
God is working in our lives towards perfecting us whereby at some point we might know His holiness. As C. S. Lewis states, it will not be accomplished in this life, but He wants to take us as far as possible before death. I am convinced that if we put the same effort that we put into other endeavors into achieving a form of holiness and righteousness and recognize God’s role in it that we will enjoy life to its fullest.
He has promised us that at some point we will be holy. No better time to start working towards it than today . . .
1 Peter 1:16
. . . because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!