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Living Simply— Yet Focused May 18, 2006 |
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Look at the birds of the air . . . . Consider the lilies of the field . . . —Matthew 6:26, 28 |
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| Consider the
lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin"— they simply
are! Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars, and the moon— all of
these simply are as well— yet what a ministry and service they
render on our behalf! So often we impair God’s designed influence, which He
desires to exhibit through us, because of our own conscious efforts to be
consistent and useful. Jesus said there is only one way to develop and grow
spiritually, and that is through focusing and concentrating on God. In
essence, Jesus was saying, "Do not worry about being of use to others;
simply believe on Me." In other words, pay attention to the Source, and out
of you "will flow rivers of living water" (John
7:38 ). We cannot discover the source of
our natural life through common sense and reasoning, and Jesus is teaching
here that growth in our spiritual life comes not from focusing directly on
it, but from concentrating on our Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father
knows our circumstances, and if we will stay focused on Him, instead of our
circumstances, we will grow spiritually— just as "the lilies of the field." The people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and "the lilies of the field"— simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold and shape us. If you want to be of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on Him, and He will make use of you every minute you live— yet you will be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of Him. |