There are vast areas of stubbornness and ignorance the Holy Spirit has to reveal in each of us, but it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone. Are we alone with Him now? Or are we more concerned with our own ideas, friendships, and cares for our bodies? Jesus cannot teach us anything until we quiet all our intellectual questions and get alone with Him. – Oswald Chambers (My Utmost for His Highest, January 13th)
After more than a decade of following, one would think I would be much more advanced than I am. A lifetime of faith is a peculiar thing. Sometimes it feels like you have grown in leaps, and many times it feels like you have voyaged backwards in search of something lost. Of course this is an impossible question for us and one that should be reserved for the Creator. Our faith makeup will always be lacking, for this is the whole point of Christ’s humble coming to us. If we were to have an advanced degree of faith, then He wouldn’t have needed to come at all. Perhaps even more frightening, we would no longer need Him.
Are we alone with Him?
This question from Chambers is at the heart of our faith journey. It goes beyond the physical presence of others, to something deeper and richer. Parents will understand that you are never truly alone. There are tiny people who depend on your presence, in both their eyes as well as in their ears. Yet even when they are not around, they are still heavy on our focus and attention. The cares of the world do not retreat just because we are locked in the bathroom for solace (hiding).
Alone is a state of mind. It is a position of being.
We have to continually wrestle this for us to have faith that moves mountains. When the world creeps in, we would be disciplined to find our alone. To care about the matters of life is not unGodly, no it is quite the opposite, but we need to know who has the final word and Truth. Our alternative is a lukewarm and impotent Gospel.
Jesus wants to be our rest, peace, and life. This requires our heart to be His, regardless of who is around us. The divided mind is an enemy of the Spirit and ultimately an enemy of our growth.
May the voice of a loving creator stifle our own voice today.
Matt simon blog 