Post by MIRIAM JACOB on Aug 23, 2007 7:38:12 GMT -5
August 16, 2007
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).
As Kingdom workers, it is absolutely mandatory that we diligently study God’s Word, and that requires more than a cursory reading of a couple of chapters in our “quiet time” each morning. True, there is a place for that devotional, quiet-time reading, and I personally practice that daily. But diligent study of God’s Word is serious work and must be approached accordingly.
We live in a subjective world, where absolutes are politically incorrect and a feel-good, anything goes, “it’s all about me” mentality is the order of the day. Sadly, I have even heard Christians (including myself!) make such anti-biblical statements as, “As long as we’re happy, that’s all that counts.” The problem with that sort of thinking is that it runs counter to what the Author and Finisher of our faith teaches us in His Word—and what He lived when He was on this earth.
Yes, I believe Jesus laughed and had fun when He walked on this planet; He was, after all, human. However, He was also divine, and He daily cultivated and maintained His connection and relationship with the Father. Holiness took precedence over happiness; hence, at the end of His earthly sojourn, He could say with confidence, “It is finished.” Had He opted for happiness over holiness, that would not be so, and we would still be lost in our sin.
Jesus said something else that is vital to our success as Kingdom workers, whether we are writers, speakers, singers, doctors, lawyers, or housewives: “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matt. 22:29). When our thinking is skewed, it is because we haven’t been heeding the admonition to diligently study God’s Word, renewing our minds, as instructed in Romans 12:2. Jesus wanted us to understand how important it is to truly study God’s Word so that we can accurately interpret and preach/teach it to others. The Scriptures are our protection against being deceived by the subjective, self-centered thinking of the world; regular, diligent study and application of those Scriptures will enable us to one day stand before God, unashamed of the work we have done during our sojourn here on earth. Through the Savior’s work on the Cross and the precious written Word of God, we have been equipped with everything we need to be able to say at the end of our earthly lives, “It is finished.” All the books have been written; all the children (whether natural or spiritual) have been raised; all the songs have been sung. It’s time to go home and to stand before God, unashamed, knowing we have been faithful Kingdom workers who diligently studied, lived, preached, wrote about, and taught the rightly divided Word of Truth.
(C) KATHI MACIAS
www.kathimacias.com
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).
As Kingdom workers, it is absolutely mandatory that we diligently study God’s Word, and that requires more than a cursory reading of a couple of chapters in our “quiet time” each morning. True, there is a place for that devotional, quiet-time reading, and I personally practice that daily. But diligent study of God’s Word is serious work and must be approached accordingly.
We live in a subjective world, where absolutes are politically incorrect and a feel-good, anything goes, “it’s all about me” mentality is the order of the day. Sadly, I have even heard Christians (including myself!) make such anti-biblical statements as, “As long as we’re happy, that’s all that counts.” The problem with that sort of thinking is that it runs counter to what the Author and Finisher of our faith teaches us in His Word—and what He lived when He was on this earth.
Yes, I believe Jesus laughed and had fun when He walked on this planet; He was, after all, human. However, He was also divine, and He daily cultivated and maintained His connection and relationship with the Father. Holiness took precedence over happiness; hence, at the end of His earthly sojourn, He could say with confidence, “It is finished.” Had He opted for happiness over holiness, that would not be so, and we would still be lost in our sin.
Jesus said something else that is vital to our success as Kingdom workers, whether we are writers, speakers, singers, doctors, lawyers, or housewives: “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matt. 22:29). When our thinking is skewed, it is because we haven’t been heeding the admonition to diligently study God’s Word, renewing our minds, as instructed in Romans 12:2. Jesus wanted us to understand how important it is to truly study God’s Word so that we can accurately interpret and preach/teach it to others. The Scriptures are our protection against being deceived by the subjective, self-centered thinking of the world; regular, diligent study and application of those Scriptures will enable us to one day stand before God, unashamed of the work we have done during our sojourn here on earth. Through the Savior’s work on the Cross and the precious written Word of God, we have been equipped with everything we need to be able to say at the end of our earthly lives, “It is finished.” All the books have been written; all the children (whether natural or spiritual) have been raised; all the songs have been sung. It’s time to go home and to stand before God, unashamed, knowing we have been faithful Kingdom workers who diligently studied, lived, preached, wrote about, and taught the rightly divided Word of Truth.
(C) KATHI MACIAS
www.kathimacias.com