You know, one of the things that is almost necessary when you turn your life over to Christ is to consciously and deliberately surround yourself with other people of faith. Recently, I’ve talked to friends who are experiencing their transformations and exploding in their knowledge and thirst for the Word. It’s refreshing for me as I remember my own experience. For those of you who might now know, I was so hungry spiritually in the beginning that I thought I was headed to seminary. I needed that kind of instruction, or so I thought. When I told a minister friend of mine, he, without discouraging my enthusiasm, made a valid point. One of my downfalls was believing that intellectual pursuit solved most of my confusion on almost everything. I could intellectually rationalize anything.
Boy, was I wrong. That kind of thinking kept me out of church; my friend reminded me of that. He told me many people can quote scripture backward and forward but have no faith. He thought I would be better served if I surrounded myself with people as hungry as I was for the Word. He surmised that fortifying one’s emerging faith was much more important at that time than spiritual intellectualism. That’s when I started bible study, and continue in some form or fashion to this day. That pastor friend was right, and my efforts to become a mature Christian have been matched stride for stride by those who have attended bible study with me. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to watch and be a part of another person’s spiritual growth. To have someone else recognize spiritual maturity and awakening within you is also wonderful. Watching others testify to what God is beginning to do in their lives is extremely heartening. It rekindles my early feelings upon recognizing and accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. I’m reminded of how people responded to me. Christ people. Friends that I had known for years opened up to my opening up about Christ.
Folk I’ve known forever and never knew were believers seemed to appear out of nowhere. Was it them? Or was it me? I’m convinced that until I offered to confess to them my transformation, they had no way to touch that part of me. Once opened, the fellowship had a place to enter my until-then walled-off soul.“Moreover, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in Him. Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” Philippians 3:8-9.Think about it and surround yourself accordingly.
May God bless and keep you always.
This column is from “Spiritually Speaking: Reflections for and from a New Christian” by James Washington. You can purchase this enlightening book on Amazon and start your journey toward spiritual enlightenment.