Spiritual Prescription GIVING IS LIVING
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. Mark 8:35.
When a person has begun a relationship with God, there springs up in his heart a spontaneous desire to share the love of God with others. "No sooner does one come to Christ than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus."--Steps to Christ, p. 78.
The area of Christian witness is the third vital ingredient for a relationship with Christ. We talk to Him, we listen to Him talk to us, and we go places and do things with Him--that's Christian service. It is by working together, doing things together, traveling together, that we become better acquainted with others. This is also true of our friendship with Christ. As we work with Him, we enter more into sympathy with Him. "And the effort to bless others will react in blessings upon ourselves. This was the purpose of God in giving us a part to act in the plan of redemption."--Ibid, p. 79.
In the physical world, if we eat and drink but never exercise, we will lose our power to act; similarly, the Christian who will not exercise his God-given powers not only fails to grow up in Christ but loses the strength he already has.
When someone who has begun a relationship with God and found meaning for a time later finds everything going sour, in nine cases out of ten the reason is lack of involvement in outreach and service for others.
God is constantly giving. His giving is the power that keeps the universe in existence. His watchcare and love for each of us have been unceasing. We cannot behold Him and become like Him, unless we, too, become involved in giving to others as we receive from Him. If we refuse to unite with Christ in service, we are in reality refusing further relationship with Him. And the relationship that we have already had will die away or become a mere form. As we talk of Jesus and share His love with those around us, our own love for Him will deepen, and our relationship with Him will continue to grow.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. Mark 8:35.
When a person has begun a relationship with God, there springs up in his heart a spontaneous desire to share the love of God with others. "No sooner does one come to Christ than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus."--Steps to Christ, p. 78.
The area of Christian witness is the third vital ingredient for a relationship with Christ. We talk to Him, we listen to Him talk to us, and we go places and do things with Him--that's Christian service. It is by working together, doing things together, traveling together, that we become better acquainted with others. This is also true of our friendship with Christ. As we work with Him, we enter more into sympathy with Him. "And the effort to bless others will react in blessings upon ourselves. This was the purpose of God in giving us a part to act in the plan of redemption."--Ibid, p. 79.
In the physical world, if we eat and drink but never exercise, we will lose our power to act; similarly, the Christian who will not exercise his God-given powers not only fails to grow up in Christ but loses the strength he already has.
When someone who has begun a relationship with God and found meaning for a time later finds everything going sour, in nine cases out of ten the reason is lack of involvement in outreach and service for others.
God is constantly giving. His giving is the power that keeps the universe in existence. His watchcare and love for each of us have been unceasing. We cannot behold Him and become like Him, unless we, too, become involved in giving to others as we receive from Him. If we refuse to unite with Christ in service, we are in reality refusing further relationship with Him. And the relationship that we have already had will die away or become a mere form. As we talk of Jesus and share His love with those around us, our own love for Him will deepen, and our relationship with Him will continue to grow.
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