Spiritual Growth

Nothing But Leaves

“He found nothing but leaves” [Mark 11:13]

When Jesus examines your life closely, what does He find? Because Faith always produces fruit. The effect of your faith can always be found in the outflow of your life. Religion, on the other hand, produces nothing worthy. It is all for show, a presentation for other people, a mirage in the desert. Religion is nothing but leaves.

The truth is, Jesus is looking for faith and He expects there to be fruitfulness. This is difficult for a generation that resists expectations as an evil. We are sworn only to ourselves, and the sway of our emotions. We push against boundaries, despise labels, and claim truth as relative. This is at cross-purposes with a God that expects much of His creation. The Church hasn’t helped much in this area casting God as one who loves you, and anything you do, with nothing required from you. Whereas the Gospel says that God loves you, and died for you, and is now demanding that you live completely for Him. He closely examines the tree of our life and desires to see faith and all its consequences. When God fails to find fruit, it is unacceptable to Him and if the tree is to bear no fruit for God, may it never bear fruit for anyone else for “apart from me you can do nothing”.

Jesus is standing in front of your life and examining- will He find faith? 

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How Progress Works

“We often expect progress to be linear. At the very least, we hope it will come quickly. In reality, the results of our efforts are often delayed. It is not until months or years later that we realize the true value of the previous work we have done. This can result in a “valley of disappointment” where people feel discouraged after putting in weeks or months of hard work without experiencing any results. However, this work was not wasted. It was simply being stored. It is not until much later that the full value of previous efforts is revealed….You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.” [James Clear in Atomic Habits]

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Your Time Is Limited

“You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” [James 4:14]

Time flies. Life feels like a vapor. Days, weeks, months, and years pass before our eyes. Recognize how fleeting the days are. We’re here today and gone tomorrow, so we must maximize every moment and make the most of our time. Soak in every good moment. Give it your full attention. Spend time with God, your spouse, children, and friends. Learn to put your phone down. Get off social media; the endless scrolling is stealing your life. It’s true; check your screen time. Instead, talk to God about what’s on your mind. Have an honest conversation with someone you love. Look your children in their eyes; play with them. Compliment your wife and make her feel special. Learn to enjoy every moment you have. Live your life with purpose, and don’t allow time to slip between your fingers like sand. Make the most of your time.

“Lost time is never found again.” – James H. Aughey

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