We Raised Our Expectations

April 11, 2016

We Raised Our Expectations

Work hard to show the results of your salvation,

obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

Philippians 2:12b

G. K. Chesterton famously said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” (Chapter 5, What’s Wrong With The World, 1910) How true, but not just with the Christian ideal; his assertion is true for all of the important aspects of life. I have some relatively minor back issues which I’m told could be ameliorated with exercise. I have not yet been uncomfortable enough to develop the discipline of regular back exercises. This of course points to another sage observation: “We will remain the same until the pain of remaining the same becomes greater than the pain of change.”

Within the realm of the church, programs aimed at getting quick results, with a minimum commitment of time and little or no expense, are the first to sell out. Programs requiring long term commitment, the purchase of books, and the promise of taking the path of the tortoise rather than the hare, these programs are generally found too difficult and thus left untried.

Interestingly, I see more and more churches trying to make it easier, less burdensome to count yourself as a part of their congregation. On the other hand, I know of a church that has experienced long term and steady growth. I asked the pastor which of their core values encourages such growth. He replied, “We raised our expectations.” Apparently, in some places that which is found to be difficult has also been tried and produced copious fruit.

I need to be reminded of these points because I have encountered a host of obstacles in the last few months that have been unsettling to my desired tranquil routine in life. I am being reminded that obstacles are more the norm of life than is tranquility. I’m also reminded that it is not really tranquility I am seeking. I am seeking the life in Christ as my way of life, which means I am called to embrace and overcome the obstacles in life. 

Work hard to show the results of your salvation,

obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.