May 10, 2008
“Let Us Not Cease”
Posted by midnightrun under Bible, Christianity, God, Jesus, bible study, esv, faith, holy bible, john calvin, new testament, old testament, religion, scripture | Tags: Bible, Christianity, faith, God, holy bible, Jesus, religion |
Sometimes I feel my progress as a Christian has been painfully slow. There are times when I feel the only way I’d be able to measure my growth in certain areas is with a real powerful microscope. I’ve written a lot on it here and most likely will continue to do so. In an odd way, I feel that writing about it helps me and is part of the growth.
Today I read a good word on this process. I started John Calvin’s short book “Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life”. On page 19, Calvin offers up this encouragement and asks us to view the process a little more patiently:
Let us not cease to do the utmost, that we may incessantly go forward in the way of the Lord; and let us not despair because of the smallness of our accomplishment.
Though we fall short, our labor is not lost if this day surpasses the preceding one.”
The pursuit of holiness. Each day that God grants us hopefully brings us closer…
May 10, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Paul describes “pressing on” toward the mark. The pusuit of holiness may be something we do leaning forward into the climb, taking slow deliberate steps. Hang in there; your process may be more like a slow cooker than a microwave.
May 11, 2008 at 5:24 pm
In the Jewish faith performing even one of the mitzvahs (one of the 613 laws or so laws in the Bible) helps rectify the world and makes G-d happy - so be of good cheer - every effort is a good one!
May 11, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I know how you feel. I usually feel like I am going three steps forward and two steps back. :)Especially in the area of loving my neighbor as myself. It’s hard to love my neighbor.
May 14, 2008 at 7:27 am
I used to struggle with feeling like this too … but now, I see it slightly differently. I see it like travelling on an upward coil … you go round and round, but you are climbing higher each time so you are moving and you are growing!