Walking By Faith: Not By Sight

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that,

  whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent 

from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:).

2Corinthians 5:6-7 

     Today I turn 75 years old: where did all the time go? My life, and maybe yours also, is like a wall street graph, lots of ups and downs, but the line is always moving upward, if it did not have an upward track, well, then things are bad. Learning is something everyone does throughout their lives, but it is not just learning that is important; it is first, learning what is right and what is wrong, and second, to exercise life in a positive manner. I am not just speaking of living a "positive life" as proposed by some so that a person feels good about themselves, it is living a positive life that is built upon learning about the Lord Jesus Christ and how we are to follow His commands. Learning to control ourselves, this is what is missing in many lives, lust rules, they must have the best of everything, even if they must go into debt to get it, or even if they have to do some cheating to get it (adultery is one such lust). Even Authentic Christians face life with a fallen nature and can be seen how a person is drawn away by desires that draw away a person from Jesus. What is found by many is that when something they consider significant, some object of desire, or some euphoric worship these object of desire they are found to be at the center of the heart. 

     Emotions can easily distract to the point whereby they become imperative and here is where Bible study, reading the Bible comes to play as this is were learning becomes a training tool so that our quest is for a godly life, one based upon Scripture and not some man(s) opinion. Emotions are like that wall street graph, lots of ups and downs and often the downs are so great that harm comes to a person. There are times when we are conscious of God's attention. Then, when we begin to work for God, to live a life that is God pleasing we become sad, pathetic and the trials of life, the difficulties of life begin to obscure the duty of an Authentic Christian and leads to living as a cultural Christian. What happens is that a person attempts to pull themselves out of this downward spin of emotion by associating with a "church" that offers supernatural worship, very worldly type of emotional services, making a person to feel godly, except, when alone the trials and difficulties come back to the forefront. When this happens a person tries to reintroduce what has been rare moments of inspiration. This is a true sign that God is not what is wanted: what is wanted is the thrill, the emotional high. Authentic Christians should never live for the rare moments, there should be no rare moments, there should only be living the life that God wants His children to live. God will not give a person inspiration if we are looking in all the wrong places. God will give inspiration to the truthful seeker and He will give inspiration when you are in danger of being led away by false inspiration. 

     Here is an important fact: We must never make our moments of inspiration our standard; our standard is our duty and our duty is to simply live for God, for Jesus Christ, to become formed in His image, and to take the Gospel wherever we go, and whatever we do. Put your focus on Jesus Christ, our God and our Savior, this and this alone is your anecdote against the disease of cultural Christianity, against the fiery darts of Satan. 

They that trust in the LORD shall be

    as mount Zion, which cannot be

removed, but abideth for ever. As the

   mountains are round about Jerusalem,

so the LORD is round about His people

   from henceforth even for ever.

                      Psalm 125:1-2

Put your trust in God: not man!

Richard L. Crumb