At a recent Charismatic Mass, I noticed an older woman in a wheelchair. Her frail body didn't move much but, all during Mass, her face was lit up with excitement - she praised the Lord - she sang with gusto! She was "pressing on" with Jesus - a blessing to those around her!
For a Christian, God's victory was won in Jesus. At some point, by grace, I come to accept this Jesus personally. But, then, what happens? By comparison, my "natural" world has all kinds of "commissioning events". After the event's over, it's off to real life - to learn and to grow "on-the-job". I'm expected to "press on" daily becoming more professional daily.
Spiritually, I'm also commissioned - in Jesus! My conscious-me says "yes" to His Call. No matter how exciting this "yes" event is for me, as a Christian, it's certainly not the end in itself. It's a grace-filled beginning - God's gift so that I'll be able to "press on" - daily "being saved" - daily "being empowered ".
Why - daily? There's always lots within me - yet to be uncovered and ministered to by God. His Spirit is daily bringing forth my "new creature in Christ". My "new creature" needs saving - empowering so that I can "press on" in my today!
How do I go about "pressing on"? First, God's Spirit is able to guide me! But the "natural", too, is also able to affect my daily living. There's lots in and around me that's still in the "natural". Living in the "natural" tends to make me "hard of hearing" to the promptings of the Spirit. That's why God's gifted me with spiritual discernment. I'm supposed to be able to "ponder and test the spirits" in all my daily "chance happenings" e.g. family - Parish - job. As I get in the habit of "pondering and testing", God promises me that I will be able to be guided powerfully by His Spirit in my daily walk.
"Father, Thy will be done - on earth as it is in Heaven". Pretty heady stuff - are we up to it? In Jesus - we are! To do the Father's will is to "press on" for today. Begin now simply to ponder, discern and, finally, "obey" each conscious Holy Spirit-hunch - e.g. "ask forgiveness", "change my ways", "share this word", etc. Then, step-by-step, my daily walk truly becomes a walk of faith. This way does sound just a bit "un-religious" - does it really work? Sure it does! We have a God of the impossible. It's God's way and it does work!
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