"We talk a lot about being filled with the Holy Spirit, so it's fascinating to see what areas of our lives we tend to apply that concept- and what areas we consistently avoid.
Allow me to get personal. Is your money under control? Most Christian financial counselors will tell you firsthand we're out to lunch in this area. Did you know that 80% of all Americans owe more than their net worth? And yet an incredible amount of money passes through our hands. American Christians will have a lot to give account for when they get to the judgement seat of Christ, because to whom much has been given, much will be required.
What about your material possessions? My wife Jeanne and I once dined with a rich man from a blue blood Boston family, and I asked him, "How in the world did you grow up in the midst of such wealth and not be consumed by materialism?"
His answer: "My parents taught us that everything in our home was either an idol or a tool."
So how do you view your possessions?
How does being a Christian relate to your thought life? Both at seminary and as I travel I find young men and women who've filled their minds with garbage, and then they ask me, "How come I'm not holy?"
How about your diet? If I scheduled a seminar at your church and then walked in drunk, you'd dismiss me immediately. But if I walked in fifty pounds overweight, you'd feed me more, right? Sure, after all, you really can't have a Christian gathering without food... But maybe this is too convicting. On to something else.
How about exercise? Dr. Kenneth Cooper told an audience of about three to four hundred students at our seminary that by a regular, systemic exercise program, they could each add five to fifteen years to their ministry. Think of the implications!"
~ Dr. Howard Hendricks, from his book Teaching to Change Lives
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xoxo,
Jaime