Hebrews 5:12-14

Our Heavenly Father desires that we grow spiritually from infancy to maturity. Yesterday, we talked about the discipline of listening to God. Today, let’s look at several more practices necessary for living a life in Christ.

• The Lord desires that we obey Him. Some of His teachings are easy to follow, while others are difficult. Choosing our own way might feel good at first, but the end result is always regret. On the other hand, every act of obedience builds faith.
• God teaches us to depend upon Him. In fact, He sometimes calls us to action in areas that seem humanly impossible. For instance, to forgive an atrocious act may feel beyond our ability. But when we cannot achieve what He requires, we rely on His strength to enable us.
• Our Father wants us to wait upon Him. We, on the other hand, want everything to happen according to our preferences and timetable. So there’s a temptation to manipulate circumstances, which typically makes a mess. The Lord’s way is best, and He desires for us to trust and be patient.
• Scripture teaches us to confess sin, repent, and learn from missteps. God doesn’t expect perfection, but He does want to see a healthy response to shortcomings.

The Lord longs for His children to have abundant, meaningful lives. For this reason, He sent His Holy Spirit to indwell, equip, and empower believers to reach their God-given potential. We can choose to cooperate with this plan or to live independently of His best.