Flee and Follow

If you will commit yourself to grow in your love for Jesus Christ and be enamored with Him and dedicated to Him, then you will see this world for what it is.

As the hymn says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

The Bible warns us, “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT).

In other words, flee and follow. Run from anything that stimulates lust and follow anything that makes you want to do right.

Psalm 1 tells us, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night” (verses 1–2 NLT).

The best way to avoid losing ground is to gain ground. The best way to keep from going backward is to go forward.

The problem is that a lot of believers are not following after righteousness. They are not pursuing God. Instead, they are coasting along in spiritual cruise control. Meanwhile, there are mountains to climb. There is rugged terrain to navigate. There are opportunities for growth.

Yet many Christians are kicking back, and they will end up becoming spiritually lazy instead of moving forward. And sadly, it’s only a matter of time until they fall.

I have often said that the Christian life is like a greased pole. You are either climbing or slipping. How about you? Are you climbing? Are you growing and maturing? Or are you sliding backward?