Pursuing God’s goal for our lives
Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-23
In John 10:10 Jesus made a bold declaration; “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy, I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.” The word ‘life’ is the principle of life in and of the Spirit of God. This is the best gift that Christ gave to every believer. People are seeking to live life to the fullest. But apart from Christ that searched will lead to nowhere. The word ‘abundantly’ shows that the life that comes from God is designed for man’s fulfillment. It is a life in which nothing else can compare for this life is in the Spirit and controlled by the Spirit. The promised of eternal life is not just for the future, the everlasting life that Christ is talking about in John 3:16. He is talking about a quality or a ‘life-all-the-more’ that could be experienced here and now. This is what Paul was providing as answers to the question in his letter to the Thessalonians. It is God’s desire for every believer to love life to its fullest. “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Certainly, the things we want to accomplish in life will not happen by accident. Instead, we should be diligent as we seek the Lord's guidance on what He wants us to achieve. And as He reveals these godly goals to us, we must constantly test them to guarantee that they are truly of Him and not simply our own selfish ambitions. “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (Philippians 2:4). Whatever we think we want to pursue in life, it is extremely important to think of the long-term consequence. Too often, we want something because it will make us happy in the short term. Believers need to think months and years down the road. Doing so will allow us to see whether our goals will contribute to the overall growth God desires in us. Do not forget the long range goal of God for your life. “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
