Crutches In the Wind

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (Galatians 3:24)

Do your homework. Practice piano. Get ready for bed. Brush your teeth. Say your prayers. When we were immature children, we needed parents and teachers to give us rules, orders and external motivation to do the right things -- things that were for our own good. As we grow in maturity, we are guided more and more by internal motivation and goals and we no longer are dependent on our parents to force us to study, say our prayers, or brush our teeth.

But, if our spiritual activities are based on rules then we may not be as mature in Christ as we should be. Do we go to church, visit the sick and give an offering because we have to or because we want to? Many religions “require” members in “good standing” to give a certain percentage or attend a certain number of meetings, or help with certain projects. This “spiritually” is false because it comes from external motivation. When we are filled with the Spirit of Christ, then we will be doing what God wants because we want to and no man is qualified to judge how the spirit leads us.

A person mature in the spirit and a spiritually immature person may be doing the same things but for very different reasons. We may be following a set of rules or disciplines because they seem to be helping us grow in righteousness. But, if they are not leading us to a deeper relationship with Christ then they are crutches which may be hiding our true need and weakness. Eventually, a storm will come that will blow away our crutches.

Project:
Evaluate your giving, prayers and other spiritual activities.
Are you doing them because of external rules and expectations or because of Christ’s love filling your heart and desires?
Let’s ask for more maturity and for more of Christ’s life, desires and love.

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:8)