I want to know Christ and the power of
his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like
him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the
dead. Philippians 3:10-11
A saint is not to take the initiative toward
self-realization, but toward knowing Jesus Christ. A spiritually vigorous saint
never believes that his circumstances simply happen at random, nor does he ever
think of his life as being divided into the secular and the sacred. He sees
every situation in which he finds himself as the means of obtaining a greater
knowledge of Jesus Christ, and he has an attitude of unrestrained abandon and
total surrender about him. The Holy Spirit is determined that we will have the
realization of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives, and He will bring us
back to the same point over and over again until we do. Self-realization only
leads to the glorification of good works, whereas a saint of God glorifies
Jesus Christ through his good works. Whatever we may be doing— even eating,
drinking, or washing disciples’ feet— we have to take the initiative of
realizing and recognizing Jesus Christ in it. Every phase of our life has its
counterpart in the life of Jesus. Our Lord realized His relationship to the
Father even in the most menial task. “Jesus, knowing…that He had come from God
and was going to God,…took a towel…and began to wash the disciples’ feet…” (John
13:3-5).
The aim of a spiritually vigorous saint is
“that I may know Him…” Do I know Him where I am today? If not, I am failing
Him. I am not here for self-realization, but to know Jesus Christ. In Christian
work our initiative and motivation are too often simply the result of realizing
that there is work to be done and that we must do it. Yet that is never the
attitude of a spiritually vigorous saint. His aim is to achieve the realization
of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances.
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