Just as Deuteronomy 10:13 reads, "And to keep the LORD's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?" God wants His beloved children to lead a happy Christian life. Is your Christian life happy? Let's take a look by checking into the two types of a Christian life.
Are you passive or active?
We can clearly tell the difference between a passive Christian life and an active one. Although they may seem similar from the outside, the inner hearts and mind-sets are totally different.
If one leads a passive believing life, he or she may be dependent. They just do what their leader asks or tells them to do. They do things only when someone leads them or supports them. They become filled with the Spirit, but only when they receive grace. They often lose that fullness as well.
Let's take prayer for an example. Suppose a passive believer prays for ten hours but it is by some form of coercion. Then, the fragrance would be very thin. If you are forced to do something, then you might get tired after a short period of time. But if an active believer earnestly and voluntarily prays, though he prays only for an hour, there is thickness to the aroma of his prayer that is offered up.
Being active and acting voluntarily in doing something shows that one recognizes its value and receives pleasure in its achievement.
God gave commandments to His dear children so that they could lead healthy and blessed lives. Thus, when we obey with recognition of the God's love for us, we can manage joyful Christian lives in God's grace and blessing. Even when such people are in times of hardship and trouble they give thanks from the heart with hope for beautiful Heaven. Because they love God foremost of all things, their faces are full of joy.
Then, why are there believers who are passive and not active in leading believing lives? This is because they haven't found the true meaning of faith. Only when we understand the clear reason and purpose for leading a Christian life can we become active and fervent in it. Then, we will like listening to the Word of God and praying. We will want to gather voluntarily in church and have fellowship sharing love with other believers.
1 Peter 2:5 says, "You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." As written, God's children should become priests who offer up holy and living sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Of course, our Christian lives aren't managed only by our own strength. That is why the God of love sent the Helper the Holy Spirit to His children as a gift. If we accept Jesus Christ and thoroughly repent of our sins, the Spirit comes into our hearts and teaches us all things, brings to our remembrance, and leads us to the truth (John 14:26, 16:13).
Until our faith grows up to some extent, we may lead passive Christian lives and need to get help or counseling from others. But after some degree of growth, it is important how much we pray in reliance on the Spirit and try hard to get answers from Him.
Do you value the goal or the process to achieve it?
Setting a specific goal or goals is very important in achieving a dream. However, if we put so much importance on the goal that we neglect the process, it is not perfect.
The process of achieving the goal of the heart of spirit is feeling the heart of God and achieving happiness and peace in the heart more and more. If you long for it and try hard to achieve it, you will feel the joy and happiness in discovering your true nature and then getting rid of untruthful things. However, if you value just the goal and its results or consequences, you may feel troubled and experience pain trying to get rid of untruthful things.
If you lead a true believing life, you won't feel sorry and be pained because you haven't yet accomplished the goal. But you will rather feel joyful and happy with hope for achieving the goal. We should examine our hearts in every step towards the goal. By practicing good works in our lives even if they seem minor, we walk every step of faith step by step.
Such things as speaking words from love, praying and reading the Bible though in a busy schedule can spiritually pile up and it can drive you toward achieving a goal more quickly. A believing life is like building yourselves up on your most holy faith (Jude 1:20).
If you have the greatest of goals that are New Jerusalem, the most beautiful place in Heaven, and whole spirit, which is God-pleasing faith then you can lead a happy Christian life (Revelation 21:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). You will naturally cherish the process of all steps towards the goal, not just the value of the goal itself.
Following passages from Matthew 20:20 describe a situation where the mother of James and John asked Jesus to let her two sons sit one on His right and the other on His left. Then, Jesus said, "Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" At that time, His disciples didn't realize the meaning of 'drinking the cup' nor understand how blessed way it was. But after receiving the Spirit, they realized the meaning, most of them drank 'the cup' of the Lord's passion, and in doing so they came to participate in His glory (Luke 22:28-30).
Therefore, in order to gain New Jerusalem that is full of God's glory we should accumulate things one by one according to the justice of God. When we run joyfully and happily towards the goal with clear hope, we can achieve the heart of whole spirit and finally enter New Jerusalem which is the greatest goal of all.
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Manmin News 
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