Keep Your Eyes on the Goal
In order to become spiritually mature followers of Jesus, it is essential that we distinguish between the means to Christian maturity and the end. God’s written Word is a vital ingredient in building faithful disciples. That’s why it is so important that we spend time reading, studying, meditating upon, and praying (yes, praying!) Scripture. As we do these things, we grow in our knowledge of Scripture, and we gain the means to become the disciples Jesus is calling us to be. At the same time, it is possible to dot all our doctrinal i’s and cross all our doctrinal t’s and still live like mere babes in Christ. This happens when we mistake the means for the end in our Christian lives.
In his book, The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard reminds us that “the aim of the popular teacher in Jesus’ time was not to impart information, but to make a significant change in the lives of the hearers. Of course, that may require an information transfer, but it is a peculiarly modern notion that the aim of teaching is to bring people to know things that may have no effect at all on their lives.”1 The goal is to become more and more like our Lord, like Jesus. This is seen not in the knowledge we possess, but in the lives we live.
Too many Christians make the mistake of substituting Bible study, prayer, fasting, and other spiritual practices for genuine growth in Christ. Our list of spiritual practices may be long, but our hearts may be short on God’s love and grace. So, keep your eyes on the goal. Keep your eyes on Jesus.
In Christ,
Dan
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Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy, p.127.