Growing Up

A few days/weeks ago, I had a talk with my manager. She kept telling me that I can do it, to act like adults, and to give feedback always, stretching myself more, doing planning, etc. Strangely, I thought I have been like this, been telling myself for years, and even advising others of that. Yet, God has been convicting me through all these too. I keep hearing that I have not been growing up and treating myself as one with already all the conditions given me. Imagine the hurts through these, but because it is better to hear convictions of the Lord from others beside you, whom meant no harm at all and who must have seen a side of me that is a blind side of mine, I humbled down to face God. As I self-introspect, I begin to think again if my time is wasted in areas where I dwell into small areas (even taking care of people who do not really need God at their timetable, etc), and not praying ahead. Growing up understands the emptiness of debates and the time to clear things up.

My car ran into problems with the hybrid battery my car is using after helping a sister jumpstart her car about a month ago. I finally went to let the technicians take a look at the battery. They charged me nothing. It was a small matter to me, and the battery is still having some problems, yet when I think back, I find that my heart felt very much more grateful to God than if He gave me some spiritual insight. My life system in me had treasured spiritual things as dearer over many other things, but yet, it seems that when I can put down a matter lingering in my heart whenever I see the problem at least once daily when I drive, the heart felt more comfortable. God is telling me that growing up means having things really concretely and practically being done up, and not just putting great and noble thoughts.

When Jesus was on earth, He healed the sick, the lame, deaf, blind first, and also many especially of those where they could not manage anything at all, and these are the demon-possessed. He was the Son of God. Though spiritual problems are indeed larger and more important than the physical, the illnesses crippled them totally. (If someone has a spiritual problem only, he still can manage things of life, and the world can still go on.) Yet, why did the Lord healed them practically and concretely first upon seeing them having a faith that satisfied Him? I believe the faith that He looks for is not great faith, but just faith in the life-giver. Though spiritual problems are larger, Jesus left them later on to deal with them. Jesus had something in mind. Spiritual healing cannot be forced. Faith cannot be suddenly created. Jesus was patient and loving enough to let the conscience and ego of a person respond to be willing to deal with the spiritual problems in them. And finally, of course, total holistic healing comes when a person’s spiritual problems are solved and he restored faith himself. Growing up means understanding the connection between the importance of physical pain and spiritual/emotional pain.

Growing up means gradually not escaping the environment God has placed you in, putting away the childish ways, thinking bigger rather than smaller, looking up rather than looking down, considering the greater group rather than the self. The one who grows up takes what he or she has confirmed and tested to be true, and does not change. He or she then takes the promise as fixed perspective, and takes it as the truth. If it is the truth, it has the greatest power already. And growing up means, even though there are cases of discouragement, setbacks, slowness, they continue faithfully in the promise. The one who looks at themselves with importance grows up fastest.

How did Jesus Christ grow up, start calling disciples, and minister so concretely and practically at the age of 30? He was unmoved as He ministered to other ministers, the elderly, the married and those having children, even He had none of these conditions in the first place. In simple words, He believed that He was the Son of God, and took it upon Himself that He was blessedly called to fulfil the purpose of God on earth. He spoke with authority AS IF He knew all kinds of men. Growing up means: to do everything AS IF I am called to be the servant of God.

Jesus Sees the Better in Brethrens To Receive His Messages

<John 14:12> “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

<Php 2:3> “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”

What is the Spirit of Christ that we may learn from a pastor? Where can the fully-equipped gospel be found?

When the Lord Jesus is born, He was born amidst the genealogy of Israel. From birth, He entrusted His earthly parents take care of Him, no matter even if they were earthly beings. From young, He entrusted Himself to the priests in the temple, even though some might be Pharisees, Scribes or Sadducees. Till only 30 years of age, He waited patiently treating everything given Him as the best, even though it was a carpentry job, He treated as if it is the best job in the world while perhaps, His cousin John The Baptist had already gone into serving the Lord with much fruits.

Before Jesus went into ministry, He Himself was baptized by His earthly cousin and entrusted Himself to those around Him, seeing them being used by God greatly so that He can be blessed. He was led into temptation by the Holy Spirit, and went through what all men would have to go through. He grasped onto God’s word and received the Holy Spirit’s convictions to know deeply how each of the three temptations faced by men can be 100% overcame. With that, He went into ministry. At the Last Supper, He washed His disciples’ feet, and told them to do the same for one another. He was misunderstood, but He learnt and showed love and righteousness even more.

Yes, we need the message and the shepherding of a pastor, but even he receives messages from His brethrens, treating His brethrens as vessels of God, instruments of God, treating them better than he himself, to receive the message from God.

The treasure of God is nowhere to be found. Christ died for the church because love and messages come from His bride. Do we treasure our brethrens to take them as God’s messages to us? They are the ones who will give you the messages needed for the era! They are the ones who when you love them till the end, they will also submit and follow with you in the Cross of Christ. This is the mystery of the Holy Spirit descending on one person, and the mystery of how the Holy Spirit can descend on a group of believers in fellowship.