new church life: jan uary/february 2015
Our job as human beings is to make connections. Think about someone
who knows only one way to resolve a disagreement, compared to someone
who knows 15. That second person is much wiser. Someone who understands
why the Lord allows evil or how the levels of the mind work – teachings that
don’t necessarily seem immediately applicable to life – will be better suited to
deal with having a child with a disability or to help a friend through a hard
time.
The very highest angels, we’re told, love truth so deeply and have studied
it with such diligence and affection that their understanding extends through
the whole of heaven. Think about what that means. A celestial angel could
talk to any good person in the world and find the good in what that person
was saying. And he could do this without whitewashing what was wrong. And
since we know the same truth looks different in different contexts, a celestial
angel would be able to apply the truth wisely in its proper way
Imagine what this world would be like if more of us truly and deeply
understood the Lord’s Word and could talk broadly on topics that came up.
We yearn for a sense of community, of belonging. And here’s the path. Grow
in spiritual knowledge and application and you will be able to connect to more
people.
Where do you go with an idea like this? One takeaway is to observe the
times when you feel isolated f rom others or annoyed with their opinions or
actions. Consider ways in which you might get into the deeper part of yourself,
the part that can see the genuine good and connection in the world.
Far more importantly, though, is to realize that throwing yourself into
spiritual living makes a difference. Take time to read the Word every day this
week. Say prayers morning and evening, as the Lord says. Tackle that challenge
head on that you need to face. Jumping in deep on spiritual living not only
enriches your life, but it enables you to be so much more useful.
“Teach me, O Jehovah, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the
end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe
it with my whole heart.” (Psalm 119:33, 34)
Amen.
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