Avoiding being at ease

My previous post covered the pursuit for spiritual joy. But in this post, I want to mention the need to avoid earthly comfort. That does not mean we should avoid earthly successes, but we must avoid letting those earthly successes crowd out our pursuit of spiritual joy.

Consider, for example, Job, who, at the beginning of the book, has tremendous earthly possessions and successes. Then, as part of a spiritual test, God allows Satan to take it all away. At one point in his lengthy discourses, Job laments (Job 16:12, KJV),

I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.

For many of us, when we find ourselves "at ease," our spiritual zeal can begin to wane. Heavenly afflictions might serve to refocus our spiritual efforts, but let us attempt a spiritual quickening before those afflictions arrive. We can do so by praying along the lines (Psalm 143:11, KJV),

Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake.

Trying to achieve spiritual joy

Sometimes it might seem like other people have found a plane of spiritual joy that we, ourselves, cannot find. At those times, it is helpful to know that David, with his heart seemingly aligned with God's, struggled with the same thing!

To illustrate, consider David's words in Psalm 70:4 (KJV),

Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.

In those words, David articulates the mindset of one who experiences spiritual joy. But in the very next verse he says (verse 5, KJV),

But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying.

Evidently, David struggled to achieve the spiritual joy he saw in others. And if David could experience those feelings, then we certainly can, too. The answer is to pray something along the lines of those words in verses 4 and 5. And do so without ceasing!

The reason for "good works"

Paul makes clear, repeatedly, that we do good works not to earn God's favor. Indeed, God's favor is a free gift that we neither earned nor deserved. In Ephensian 2:8-9 (KJV), Paul states,

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

So then where do good works fit into a spiritual life? In verse 10, Paul explains,

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

So good works do not cause us to enter God's favor. Rather, the fact that we have God's favor causes us to walk in obedience. This reversal of the cause/effect relationship between works and salvation is a central part of Jesus' teachings, and Paul expands upon it in his letters.

So in our prayers, let us thank God for our undeserved salvation, and then let us walk in obedience as a sign of our thankfulness for that salvation.

Abiding in God

In modern times, it's fashionable to view our spiritual journey as trying to form a "relationship" with God. On one hand, that's not a bad line of thinking. After all, trying to form a "relationship" likely means we are engaging in prayer, which, I believe, is the key to deciphering God's will.

But on the other hand, the Bible doesn't use that terminology of forming a relationship, probably because the meaning of "relationship" is somewhat fuzzy. But then, what are we trying to accomplish in our spiritual journey?

In a recent sermon, John MacArthur argues that, while the answer is all over the Bible, it is most explicitly stated in John chapter 15. Specially, in verse 4 (KJV) of that chapter, Jesus states,

Abide in me.

And then in verse 5 (KJV),

He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

And then in verse 7 (KJV),

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Verse 10 (KJV) hammers home what "abiding" means,

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love.

The idea of "abiding" is more concrete than the tougher-to-define idea of "relationship." And if gives us a specific path to follow, namely obedience to God. 

A prayer God won't refuse

The Bible states that, to be answered by God, our prayers must conform to his will. So praying for money, health, or happiness might not work if our hearts aren't in tune with God. James (4:3, KJV) makes this clear,

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

So what's a prayer that God is not likely to refuse? Consider Psalm 43:3 (KJV),

Send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

It's a simple plead for wisdom and guidance, and a great guide for daily prayer.

Being our own spiritual "coach"

In 1 Corinthians 11:31 (KJV), Paul says,

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Paul's point, I think, is that, as we sin every day, we must engage in a continual act of self examination to identify and confess those sins. Doing so will forestall whatever punishment God has in mind.

This interpretation of that verse does not paint God in a bad light. Rather, it points to his patience and love, that he gives us a chance to confess.

Jesus points to a similar theme when he washes the disciples' feet. Peter asks, why just the feet? To which Jesus responds (John 13:10, KJV),

He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit.

The point being, we are already cleansed through faith, but we still sin throughout the day, effectively dirtying our feet as we walk through this life. We must "clean our feet" by engaging in that daily process of self examination. And that happens through ceaseless praying!

The simple substance of prayer

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the task of prayer. Are our words sufficient? Are we touching upon the proper subjects?

As Paul emphasizes, the exacts words or topics of our prayers aren't critical (Romans 8:26, CSB),

We do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.

With that it mind, it's useful to turn to David's directions to the Levites. In 1 Chronicles 23:30 (CSB), the directions are,

... to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the Lord, and likewise in the evening.

Similarly for us, our prayers every morning and evening (and throughout the day) should, first and foremost, give thanks and praise. Other topics are fine, too. But let us emphasize thanks and praise!