God's Message to Western Churchgoers: Grow Up!

We can look back on our upbringing and see how we learned the most from those occasions that seemed disastrous at the time. Of course we shouldn’t impose tragedy or disaster on ourselves deliberately, I only mention this for encouragement’s sake.

Looking back on Christ's uninterrupted faithfulness should lead us toward trusting Him more deeply all the time. Such is the steadfastness of this Spiritual Rock that we can wait on Him and obey Him with a clear conscience no matter what.
It is easy for us, in our spiritual childishness, to interpret God's actions unfavorably, especially when He takes things away from us. From a spiritual perspective, we’re like spoiled little babies sitting in cushioned, embroidered high chairs. We shut our mouths and turn away when Daddy tries to feed us our lima bean and carrot puree because, maybe, if we whine and cry long enough, then He might give us what we really want… chocolate cake, doughnuts and gummy bears. But our Heavenly Father knows that we need the lima bean and carrot puree to grow up big and strong.
As of now the westernized church is like a spoiled, disobedient son who should have grown up and moved out years ago. This overgrown, overindulged child is content to sit around, getting ever increasingly fat and decreasingly productive, all at his parents’ expense. The abundant resources that this underdeveloped adult is consuming was provided to facilitate productive labor.
We are foolish to doubt whether or not the Author of all life and energy and light will continue to provide us with everything we need. We should not distrust God's ability to give us spiritual illumination when He has already provided so many physical clues, such as the unfailing, heavenly lights. It is especially daring for us to doubt His ability to light our way spiritually when He has explicitly promised to do this.
Conclusion: Be encouraged! God works out difficult scenarios for His glory and, simultaneously, to the benefit of those who trust Him to work these things out. He utilizes both inward and outward hardship to draw us toward total dependence on Him.
by Patrick Roberts
www.BooksByPatrick.com

Patrick is an average Christ-seeker. His goal is to turn people to Jesus Christ.