“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 3:12-14
Sometimes we can hear God’s voice very clearly; sometimes we feel like we have gone our entire lives without hearing a single word from Him. Could it be that we must learn to hear God’s voice? Could it be that He speaks to us in different ways, and that part of our faith journey is learning to recognize the many ways He communicates with us?
God can speak to us as the rain; as birdsong; as the wind; as a baby’s cry; as a precious word of love from our family; as the happy laughter of a coworker; as a hello and a kind word from a stranger in line at the grocery store. Perhaps you have had someone tell you, “You have no idea how much that meant to me.” Can we honestly say that any kindness we give doesn’t come from God?
A faith journey is not a sprint. There is no timeline to meet when it comes to being the best Christian we can be. In actuality, all we have is this immediate moment, which is why we strive to be grateful in all circumstances, pray constantly, and love one another. In his sermon entitled “Christian Perfection,” John Wesley states that God calls us to develop a close and loving relationship with Him. This loving relationship with God should be so strong that we do not want to do anything to separate us from His love, and that we do not want to withhold that love from anyone else. This experience of love is part of the faith journey that will lead us directly to God’s kingdom here on earth.
The only requirement to a Christian faith journey is to love God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your spirit, and it begins with one step.
Sue Gibbons, Administrative Assistant to the Worship Team
