If I have learnt anything in my 14 years as a Christian then it is this - there are some basic building blocks within our faith without which, we cannot function. If we want to be useful to each other and more importantly useful to God then these blocks have to be in place. Christianity is about discipline, obedience, sacrifice and perseverance but it is also about joy, victory, peace and fulfilment. If we find ourselves this morning less than ‘conquerors’ then it will probably be because the enemy has undermined our faith, quite literally dug beneath our foundations causing spiritual instability and potential collapse.
These essential building blocks are prayer, God’s word and obedient faith. Prayer is the ‘Christian’s vital breath’ and when used in conjunction with the word of God encourages it directs, chastises, empowers, heals, restores, forgives – without these two foundation stones solidly set in place our Christianity will not work and cannot be productive. As blood and breath are to the body so prayer and God’s word are to the soul. Faith is the fuel that enables these two avenues of grace to move us forward. Faith is the ‘evidence of things now not seen’ and replaces our dismal outlook with God’s bright future.
Do we make time every day for serious (and delightful) intimacy with God, do we memorise his word and ‘walk with him and talk with him along life’s narrow way’? Do we hear and obey his voice? If the answer to these questions is no, then our lives are probably full of despondency and personal disaster. I remember once seeing a Spike Milligan cartoon, the drawing showed a series of small insect like creatures each reciting out loud simple mathematical problems – the caption underneath simply said ‘it’s the little things that count’ when it comes to Christianity that is so true.
It is the little compromises, the small sins, and the casual neglect of prayer that causes us to fail and fall. Being a lazy parent, an insensitive spouse, an indifferent employee – once these things have been dealt with then God will lead us on. We need to start our pilgrimage from where we are and not from where we want to be, one step at a time, moment by moment. As Jesus once said "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” (Luke 16:10)
Love and prayers A
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