“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).
One of the things our staff and elders hear from me often is the saying, “Facts are our friends. You cannot build a desirable future based on wishful thinking. You can only build your desirable future based on facts.”
Facts are neither good nor bad – even though some facts may feel that way. For instance, “You’re fat.” That feels bad. But it is what it is. It’s a fact. “You’re 58 years old? You don’t look at day over 40!” That feels good. But it is what it is.
If you want to grow up in your faith and spiritual maturity, you cannot do it apart from God’s facts. You cannot base your desirable future based on what you wish, what you want, what the world thinks, what everyone says is important. You can only build it based on facts.
Jesus said it himself, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
If you want to grow, that you go to a Bible preaching church, that you are a part of a Bible studying group, and that you spend daily time with God’s truth is basic. This is the foundation upon which you build your spiritual maturity.
Here is a fact: just because you read your Bible every day, and you study the Bible with others, and you go to church every week to hear a Bible based sermon does not equal spiritual maturity or growth.
AND: if you are not reading your Bible every day, studying the Bible with others, and go to a Bible preaching church, I can GUARANTEE you are NOT GROWING.
Facts are our friends. You cannot build a desirable future based on wishful thinking. You can only do so based on facts.
Get into God’s word. Without God’s word, you CANNOT grow. That’s a fact!
Praxis: Faith in Action 