And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the
Lord's glory, are being transformed into his like-
ness with ever-increasing glory, which comes
from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
The majority of active members in our sound churches
today are primarily doers; their chief concern is to
work for the Lord. But, service being the emphasis of
their life, they are, for the most part motivated by self.
We must all learn, sooner or later, that the result of
every form of self-effort is nothing but a barren waste,
a spiritual Death Valley. Our growth is bound to falter
and dry up when service is predominantly in the life,
especially in the formative years.
Conversely, when growth in Christ is given first place,
service will never suffer. Furthermore, our life work
will be accomplished in His time and in His way--and
that without physical, mental, or spiritual breakdown.
The tragedy of the church is the service-centered be-
liever has little or no concern for spiritual growth,
other than enough development and training for what
he considers to be fruitful service. Naturally altruistic,
he is appalled at the thought of placing growth ahead
of outreach. The activist rarely seems to become aware
of the sin of self, of the necessity of the Cross in his
life, or of God's purpose for him to be conformed to
the image of Christ.
There are many believers who feel that the chief pro-
blem in our congregations is the existence of an over-
whelming number of pew parasites. But, on the other
hand, the vast army of busy-bee workers in our midst
constitutes a comparable problem. Both doing nothing,
and doing too much, are a hindrance to God's purpose.
His will for the Christian is expressed in the word
"being," which in turn will result in effective "doing."
Miles Stanford 1914-1999
Reader, being part of a church can be an exhausting
experience for most committed Christians. We want
to be accepted and well thought of. Right? As I look
back on my life at all of the temptations to be busy,
I understand how Lyme Disease played an essential
role. I was simply too exhausted to play the game well.
God continues to have me on a short tether where I am
given the strength to do only what He is asking of me.
Well...Amen!
Miles Stanford certainly laid it out in the short para-
graphs above. The verse at the top is a verse that one
can wallow in...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_J._Stanford
Lord's glory, are being transformed into his like-
ness with ever-increasing glory, which comes
from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
The majority of active members in our sound churches
today are primarily doers; their chief concern is to
work for the Lord. But, service being the emphasis of
their life, they are, for the most part motivated by self.
We must all learn, sooner or later, that the result of
every form of self-effort is nothing but a barren waste,
a spiritual Death Valley. Our growth is bound to falter
and dry up when service is predominantly in the life,
especially in the formative years.
Conversely, when growth in Christ is given first place,
service will never suffer. Furthermore, our life work
will be accomplished in His time and in His way--and
that without physical, mental, or spiritual breakdown.
The tragedy of the church is the service-centered be-
liever has little or no concern for spiritual growth,
other than enough development and training for what
he considers to be fruitful service. Naturally altruistic,
he is appalled at the thought of placing growth ahead
of outreach. The activist rarely seems to become aware
of the sin of self, of the necessity of the Cross in his
life, or of God's purpose for him to be conformed to
the image of Christ.
There are many believers who feel that the chief pro-
blem in our congregations is the existence of an over-
whelming number of pew parasites. But, on the other
hand, the vast army of busy-bee workers in our midst
constitutes a comparable problem. Both doing nothing,
and doing too much, are a hindrance to God's purpose.
His will for the Christian is expressed in the word
"being," which in turn will result in effective "doing."
Miles Stanford 1914-1999
Reader, being part of a church can be an exhausting
experience for most committed Christians. We want
to be accepted and well thought of. Right? As I look
back on my life at all of the temptations to be busy,
I understand how Lyme Disease played an essential
role. I was simply too exhausted to play the game well.
God continues to have me on a short tether where I am
given the strength to do only what He is asking of me.
Well...Amen!
Miles Stanford certainly laid it out in the short para-
graphs above. The verse at the top is a verse that one
can wallow in...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_J._Stanford
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