"Look I tell you lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest" - John 4:35
The world is hurting. Despair, addiction, loneliness, homelessness, anxiety, depression, and nihilism are pervading our world. Followers of Jesus is not called to close their eyes to these things but rather they are called to run toward them. This is one of the many aspects of Christianity that separates it from other spiritual traditions.
Paul tells us to ‘bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ’ (Gal 6:2). Jesus devoted a large portion of His time to healing the sick and spending time with the broken hearted.
True spiritual peace is revealed only in the midst of storms - without chaos, divine peace has no mechanism of manifestation. The goal of every Christian is the ever increasing presence of Christ in his or her life. As St Mark the Ascetic, an early 5th century Church Father, puts it, “The Lord is hidden in His own commandments and He is to be found there in the measure that He is sought.”
Each of us serves someone. We’re either serving ourselves, another person, or God. Only by observing our actions we can discern who is truly our master. Those of us who choose to serve God are never short of work - for we must simply “lift up our eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest."
"Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered."
- Proverbs 11:25
Wow! How can I not comment? “The Lord is hidden in His own commandments and He is to be found there in the measure that He is sought.” What a great quote!
Paul says: be filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) In the Greek text, the word for “be filled” is actually in the continuous present tense, giving the verse the meaning, “Be continually filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit.” Seeking Him and asking for more of the Spirit is certainly in the will of the Lord, and He will therefore answer that request. The action of obedience with the power of the Spirit to work thru us is one of the most desirabl…