As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another – Proverbs 27:17. We all need to be sharpened and we all need to grow in our faith and knowledge of the Lord. In doing some research for my writing I came across several excellent articles that really sharpened and helped me immensely and I want to share a few of them with you. But before I do so, let me say this:
Although I fall short in many areas God has richly blessed me with an intense curiosity and a strong desire to learn. If I want to know something or solve a problem or if I am having difficulty in a certain area of my life then I will always try to figure out what the problem is and how to solve it. Most of the success that I have had in my life is due to my seeking out those who are wiser and more successful than I and modeling their behavior. This is good advice no matter who or where you are. If you want to be a smarter, wiser and sharper person, find the sharpest and most successful folks you can (and the internet is a fantastic resource for doing this) and learn to think and act like them.
(For two great Biblical examples of this, see the writings of King David in Psalms and the writings of Paul in the New Testament).
Now to the articles!
On the topic of Christian liberty and with an excerpt that should really get you thinking: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/80-11/the-true-meaning-of-christian-freedom
What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? Walk is the idea of daily conduct, daily conduct, routine life pattern. And how do you walk in the Spirit? Very simply, where does the Spirit reveal His will? Where does the Spirit give us His direction? In the Word of God, right? I don’t think walking in the Spirit is mystical or ethereal, I don’t think it’s some kind of heavenly thing, I don’t think it’s some kind of ecstatic emotional experience. Walking in the Spirit is very simple, it is walking in obedience to the mind and will of the Spirit of God. And that means to be saturated with the Word of God so that the Word of Christ dwells in you richly and that then, that word then becomes the control factor used by the Spirit of God to lead you into obedience. It isn’t enough to become a Christian and then stand around in a vacuum of knowledge without any information out of the Word of God and hope everything turns out right. We have to be saturated in the Word of God on a day-by-day basis so that the Word of God implanted in the mind and the heart becomes the control vehicle by which the Spirit of God leads us as we live day by day. And when we’re filled with the Word of God, controlled by the Spirit of God, walk in obedience to that revealed will of God, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh, but we will fulfill the law by loving each other.
The whole sermon is quite a read but is well worth your time and effort!
And on the Christian perspective of boredom (do you get bored? I do, and from what I read here I need to be very careful about that!) https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/god-s-beauty-for-the-bored-busy-and-depressed
“What immediately leaps to our mind when we see the word holiness?” asks Dane. “Austerity. Coldness. Grim-faced. Jaw-set. In one of his early sermons Edwards says, ‘Holiness is a most beautiful, lovely thing. Men are apt to drink in strange notions of holiness from their childhood as if it were a melancholy, morose, sour thing.’ But Edwards says there is nothing in holiness but what is sweet and ravishingly lovely. Sin is mire and filth. Holiness is sweet, lovely, delightful, serene, calm. That corrects me. Holiness is calming. It is the only route by which I can actually enjoy my life, because I am not delighting in the world’s fraudulent offers of happiness. Holiness is quietly thrilling. Where else would you want to live but in the brightness of holiness?”
How does not being bored fit in with holiness? Well, you’ll just have to read the article to find out!
And finally, still one more fantastic resource on the Christian perspective of boredom. This one really convicted me! http://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/overcoming-boredom/
This week I was asked if boredom is a sin. Good question. After contemplating the matter, I think the answer is that sin and boredom go together, but I would rather say that boredom is a disease of the soul. It is a warning sign from God that there is a “dis-ease” in your heart that must be faced. Boredom is a sign that your life is moving in the wrong direction.
How can we overcome boredom? It requires a reorientation of the way we approach each day. I’d like to combine two very familiar verses—Ecclesiastes 9:10 and Colossians 3:17—in order to find a biblical answer to boredom.
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might Ecclesiastes 9:10a (NASB)
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17 (NASB)
Using the above resources God really opened my eyes about some things in my life. You may not need the specific lessons that these articles are trying to teach but I would still encourage you to be a knowledge seeker and a wisdom searcher in all that you do. God has provided everything that we need to be strong and complete in Him but it is up to us to learn and apply those resources. No matter what you are working on or where you happen to be in your search, my prayer is that God would richly bless your efforts as you go.