Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Spiritual Secret of Life. . . Just Kidding

Oftentimes, I have wished that there was one spiritual secret which would be all I needed to revitalize my walk with God. In addition, many sermons and books will either explicitly state or implicitly connote that the Biblical truth they teach is "the one". These claims sound both convenient and logical: for example, "just remember that Jesus is returning" or "just make sure you're always praying" or "Love God, love people." Can one truth really be the center of our spiritual walks? As I've matured, I've found more and more truths that tempt me to center on them: those already mentioned and others.

We ought to give up our search for one "golden rule." There is only one thing which should be the center of our life: and it is not a truth. It is a Person: God, the Triune, the Creator, the Sovereign, the Redeemer. Centering one's life on God is not simple: this actually makes your life much more complex, busy, and full of duties to remember. A short list: pray always, commune with God, exalt Him in your life, humble yourself before Him, love others as yourself, love God with all your self, read God's word, be filled with God's Spirit, love and serve God's church, spread God's good news, and so on and so on. My point is this: Stop looking to one truth or duty to give you life. Allow God's demands on you to be many, and follow Him as hard as you can with your whole life.