In my introduction to this series of posts, I made an analogy - comparing a new Christian to a shiny new car. I think this is a useful analogy so I'm going to run with it for a time. If you haven't read the introduction yet, please do. It'll make this post a lot more understandable. Maybe you could consider these posts as a practical Christian consumer commentary on that vehicle.
For all of the shiny new cars (New Christians) out there, recognize that there's only one manufacturer (our God) and therefore only one manufacturer produced owner/operator's manual - His Word. A wise brother told me years ago "never take another man word for what God is saying to you - read it for yourself in His Word". This has probably been one of the most productive and useful pieces of advice that I've been given in my Christian walk. In order to follow it, one has to read the owner's manual on a regular basis. I'm trusting that you will also follow this advice and do the same with what I tell you.
There are those among us who've always known that we could put things together or complete certain projects without the instructions. I suppose that maybe we just felt that we were exceptionally gifted by God. But if we were completely honest, I'm sure that there are those of us who have had experiences because of this tendency, that resulted in frustration or less than satisfactory results. At times, these same "gifted" people might have to admit to having looked at the instructions when no one was looking in order to finish. Reading the owner's manual or the installation instructions that come with the new things we come in contact with requires a discipline that not all of us have possesed for whatever reason. But if you haven't already figured it out or heard it elsewhere, let me be the first: If you try to apply that same attitude toward a Christian walk with God ... it won't work! <-- period, exclamation point!!!
Your Christian life, your relationship to our God, is more important than anything else in your life ... period. If you follow His instruction, it will give you a successful basis for dealing with anything and everything else in your life ... IF you follow His instruction. Do I need to say it again? You can forge ahead believing that you know what you're doing, but you'll find out without exception, that you're not dealing with a human mentality in this project. You're dealing with a God who has superior understanding and wisdom far beyond our own abilities - and it's His design. So don't assume that you can presuppose how the parts work. That shiny new car might as well be an alien space craft. To the world, and the new Christian coming out of the world ... it is! One of the biggest keys to how quickly and easily you will grow as a Christian, a follower of Christ, will be determined by your commitment and ability to be disciplined. It's not an option. If you're truly commited to our Lord, you will learn to be disciplined or you will not grow. You may in fact, wither and die. From the onset, you can be self disciplined, or He will teach you discipline throughout the course of your walk. Please believe me, it's obvious to those of us who've learned by the latter method, that it's far easier to get it in your head right from the beginning that there's only one way to do things - His far superior way! The greater your willingness to follow what He has said and the higher your level of surrender to His instruction and ways, the faster and stronger you will grow in the time you have here. It will also more rapidly increase your success in reaching new heights in your relationship with Jesus.
Our Lord has laid out instructions for our succesful living and relationship with Him. There are no substitutions for what He's declared the operating instructions to be. These rules cannot be altered or changed by men and God Himself is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. So please, please please - learn them! Be disciplined and read the manual!
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