1st Thessalonians 4.1 NASU “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.”
“Excel still more.” God expects me to be who I ought to be and walk as I ought to walk. This is good but not good enough. I must...
“Excel still more.”
Having achieved a particular level of maturity in Christ, I am apt to discover new levels that stretch and test my faith. There are new advances I must make and countless rungs on the ladder of spiritual growth.
“Excel still more.”
I have not ‘arrived.’ I am on a journey. The destination is heaven and the path is long and crooked. The way is difficult but Christ is with me. I must follow Him and remain determined to...
“Excel still more.”
“The gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Jesus, Matthew 7.13-14). There is no other option than to...
“Excel still more.”
Jesus is my Teacher but He’s so much more. He is also my Savior having redeemed me by His blood. Now I am saved but still there’s more. Complacency is an ever-present enemy. It is too easy to stall in the comfort of my theological position or the recollection of past exploits. That would be a mistake. Instead, I must choose to...
“Excel still more.”
Driven by forces I do not fully understand, I am growing in my love for Christ and the body of Christ. Jesus in me may be challenged, misunderstood, or even rejected. Regardless of the outcome, I must remain steadfast in my resolve to love others and in that endeavor...
“Excel still more.”
Seven decades of learning is not enough. There’s more. Christ is just now composing the preface of the book of my eternal life. There are untold numbers of chapters to come and new insights to glean from “the Author and Perfecter of [my] faith” (Hebrews 12.2). He is transforming my story... and my soul! Jesus expects me to… “Excel still more.”
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The photograph "Mace Climbing Ladder" is by visual designer and musician Robert Andersen. You can view his interesting photographic talent at http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetwilitekid/.
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1 comment:
There are some aspects of my life I am satisfied with and I do not desire to learn more. Auto mechanics is one of those areas. I did what I did when I had to, now I don't have to and things are way too complicated for me to want start fiddling around under the hood of my car. Now I will grant you my lack of knowledge in this area proves to be expensive every now and then.
Some areas of my life demand a continuing education (I am still wondering why I chose to get into Data Processing).
But in the area of my “walk” some time ago I decided that I wanted to improve. That desire became something I practice.
Even the best athletic individual has to practice. Doctor’s practice, sharp shooters practice, sport fans, practice.
So often Christians don’t practice. Sometime they wonder why or how someone else excels in the example they set. I bet if you asked those shining examples would tell you they practice, study, apply and learn because they have this desire to improve.
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