This week Norm spoke from Colossians 3 on putting on the new self and how that plays out. It is so awesome because it really is of God when you study something through the week and then find it again in the sermon on Sunday. When that happens I know God is saying to me, "Listen up, Penny, this is for you." Of course, now I also have to be doubly careful to put it into practice!
Pastor Norm said that we are not supposed to try harder when it comes to the virtues, we already have this in Christ. These are all about community issues. It's not just about me and God. You cannot live the Christian life alone. We grow as others grow. You are in sin because you are living an individual life alone.
Do I get this? Do I understand that I grow as others grow? It is so, so, so easy to sit at home and listen to great sermons on line and read great books and think I am maturing as a Christian. It's not until I interact with others that I notice my pride issue pop up or my temper flare. I have often deceived myself as I sit at home that I am in a much better spiritual state than I actually am.
This thought that I grow as others grow gives me a new vigor to make sure I am at small group as much as possible. God is so neat in how He sets things up. I could easily spin off on the other side of this coin and be obnoxious to my group because I want them to hurry up and grow. That's why He puts in compassion, kindness, and humility.
This idea reminds me of a game I would play skating on the ice with my friends. We would hold hands and one person would skate out while the other person stood with their feet rigid and were pulled by the momentum of the first person. They would travel as far as possible on the first person's momentum and then the second person would push off and the first would stand still and in a see-saw manner, they gather speed. I see spiritual growth looks much the same way. One pulls a friend along until we both get a good speed. I look forward to seeing how God works this spiritual truth into my life and the fruit that comes from it.
My spiritual growth is connected to your spiritual growth.