SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Anyone familiar with business management knows about setting goals--attainable, measurable,challenging goals.  Christians  who are passionate about growing spiritually  also can benefit from setting goals.  Good spiritual goals encourage us to move forward.  They deal with the future.

January is a time many people assess their past year and make plans for their new year.  As we do so, we can be sure some things will change.  We can expect change because we live in a changing world.  Everything around us changes, and we change too.  Too often Christians accept spiritual mediocrity rather than follow the Holy Spirit into spiritual excellence.  Paul had  many good things to say about how the Thessalonian Christians had lived.  Yet Paul knew also they could grow even more in their faith.  He wanted the Thessalonian believers to excel spiritually.

All Christians are to strive to live in a way that is pleasing to God.  Paul knew the Thessalonian Christians as a rule already were doing this.  He wanted to encourage them to please God even more.  In no way was Paul demeaning the spiritual strides they had made.  Rather he urged them (and us, by virtue of our studying this passage) to move forward to greater examples of obedience to the Lord's commands.  For most Christians, a lack of obedience to Christ and not a lack of knowledge is what hinders our spiritual growth.

Christians should consider four factors in seeking to learn the will of God: (1) listening to the Holy Spirit as they study God's Word; (2) asking for counsel from mature, godly Christians; (3) using some God-given common sense; and (4) obeying God's will once they've discerned it.  In verse 3, God's will is for us to be sanctified.   Being sanctified involves being set apart and dedicated to God.  A sanctified life is one dedicated to reflecting God's character and commands.  Any Christian who desires to excel in his or her walk with the Lord must take this command seriously.

What is your goal in life?  As Christians, we can set a goal of developing a lifestyle that would commend the gospel to others.  We might not realize it, but someone is listening to what we say, watching how we act, and taking note of how we work.  People need to see the gospel fleshed out  in Christians' everyday lives.  Will we show them God's love?

I hope you take time to read the scripture for this devotional.  It is time to set a goal in our walk with the Lord.  I am sorry for not having a devotional for 2 weeks, I have been healing from a flu virus and was not well at all.  Praise the Lord, He is faithful and His Word is true as I am up and going again.

I hope your week ahead is full of joy and God's blessings.  Please feel free to contact me through the email address: nadinewhlr77@gmail.com  

Remember Jesus loves you and so do I.

His Servant,

Nadine