Target Practice

Since my "retirement" the Lord has had me on an unexpected growth spurt in knowledge and understanding of God, resulting in major mindset shifts which have in turn resulted in much freedom and joy and love - unlike what I have ever experienced before in Him.

I've observed that there is something seductive about gaining knowledge when done independently of Jesus. In other words, it has the power to delude the learner into thinking he/she is superior to others. This, of course, was what the tree of knowledge in Eden was about - being god (superior) by knowing independently of God. Paul says in 1Corinthians 8:1 that knowledge "puffs up" while love "builds up."

Would to God we followers of Jesus would all be being renewed in our minds continually (which means shifts in mindsets), but my caution is that we make love our goal in all pursuit of knowledge, even in the pursuit of knowing God. I believe that aiming at love while growing in knowledge is what it means to live from the tree of life - Jesus.

In my walk now as I continue to grow in knowledge, I'm making the effort to consciously see myself in Christ Jesus, He being the One dispensing the knowledge, feeding me. There are times when I sense His quiet voice within me saying to stop my reading or studying; and I've learned that even though it may be wonderful and true material (and I really want to keep digging into it), if He is slowing me down, it's because He knows how much and how far I should go in that moment in order not to be led down the road of spiritual arrogance that would see others as inferior to me.

In I Corinthians 14:1 the apostle Paul says to aim at love, which could imply that we don't hit the mark perfectly every time; God doesn't ask us to be perfect marksmen but to make love our target; and the more we practice, the closer we will get at hitting it. Eating of the tree of life is about growing in love as we grow in knowledge - that is only possible in Jesus and under His leadership. The goal of all learning is to love - to receive the love of God and then to give that love away to others. If I'm not growing in love and tenderness towards others along with growing in knowledge, I may need more target practice!