Tonight as I officially grew older, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on any new wisdom I have gained from another year of life. Though I cannot say that I feel tremendously different a few things do move me to write.
- Abundant life often demands a radical trust in God during the stressful times, but engenders an overwhelming humility when He unexpectedly blesses you.
- Fathers not provoking your children to wrath often times means not being provoked to wrath by your children. Training children in the fear and admonition of the Lord requires a much softer word and a much steadier hand than I knew I could have.
- More prevelant now and growing every day, do I long and desire to gather together with two or more believers that I might experience Jesus’ presence in our midst. Such love and fellowship makes us yearn more deeply for the satisfaction of Christ’s return.
- The role of an under-shepherd requires of those who accept the burden an unyeilding commitment to the final result, a driving compulsion to provide a steady diet and refreshment, and a unwavering devotion to knowing the flock among you.
- The more I realize my own meloncholy heart the more I hear God speak to my heart as He did to Paul’s son in the ministry through the words penned in the apostle’s second epistle to Timothy. I praise God for such words as if they had been written by my mentoring pastor on behalf of Christ directly to me!
Thanks be to God for this twenty-ninth year and for the twenty eight ones already past. Though it does not seem right to pray for longevity or even for brevity, I do echo Paul in my prayers that for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. I pray that I might be as Peter, not negligent to remind people of gospel truth but stirring them up for Christ as long as I inhabit this tent. I ask that God give me a spiritual eyesight that does not dim, instead of the physical eyesight as Moses had, and I pray that I might have a similar portion of that same passionate vigor that the great Lawgiver had. More than anything else I pray that my life be one that Christ recieves glory from and in the end it can be said that I have fought the fight, finished the race, and have kept the faith!
