…but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

  - Philippians 3.13, 14

For what I am I was not and shall not be, and every hour I am different and never stay. For I am always moving from the day of my birth up till the day of death, and throughout the individual days of my life I change, and what things change or how they change I do not see; and I can never see my whole life in one together, and what yesterday I was, today I am not, and thus what today I am, tomorrow I shall not be...

  - Columbanus, Sermon VI, Irish, 7th century

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus claimed that a man never steps in the same river twice.

That’s the point Columbanus was making about his life, and Paul was recommending as a general outlook on our own. Like plants, growing in the spring, there’s always room for change, improvement, progress in our walk with the Lord.

We can always gain new insights and understandings, hone our affections, firm up our values and priorities, improve our ministries, and acquire some new practices and skills. The Christian life is an adventure of drawing nourishment from the True Vine and translating that into vibrant life and fruit.

But many believers are too easily satisfied with where they’ve come, and they can lapse into complacency about growing in the faith. It’s just too easy to become satisfied that our vision of the life of faith is as full as it can get, our disciplines are sufficient, and our practices – OK, they could use some improvement, but we’re no better or worse than the people we know.

But the goal of Christian growth is not to be better or worse than our fellow believers. The upward prize, the goal of Christian growth, is Christ-likeness, being like Jesus (2 Cor. 3.12-18). Do you suppose Jesus saw the unseen world more clearly than we? Understood the Christian worldview more completely? Maintained purity and intensity of heart perhaps more consistently than we do? And walked His talk better?

Of course He did, and as Paul longed to become more like Jesus, so must we.

Let it be our goal, day by day, not to be the same people we were yesterday, and, praise God, to be different people again tomorrow as the Spirit of God transforms us increasingly into the image of Jesus Christ.

The prospect of increasing in Christlikeness should challenge, thrill, and guide every one of His disciples. We can grow. We can change. We can improve. He can increase in us even as we decrease.

This is how Jesus is filling all things in all things (Eph. 1.22, 23).

By beginning with us, more and more, day after day.

Psalm 40.1-5 (Dix: “For the Beauty of the Earth”)
I waited patiently for God; He inclined and heard my cry,
Lifted me up above the sod, set me on a Rock on high!
New songs in my mouth He gave; may He through me many save!

Blest are all who trust in You, turning both from lies and pride.
Countless wonders, Lord, You do, and Your thoughts with us abide.
Lord, Your worth who can declare? None with You can e’er compare.

Lord, let me grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus every day!

Calling Men to Prayer
We are beginning a new initiative this week, calling men to a more consistent, more meaningful, and more satisfying life of prayer. We’ve prepared a brief paper explaining the concept, and I’d be happy to send you a copy for the asking. Write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I’ll send you Men of the Church: A Solemn Warning, a Serious Call, and an Amazing Hope. If you really want to become more like Jesus, men, prayer is the place to begin. I hope to hear from many of you.

Look for some exciting developments and changes in the ministry of The Fellowship of Ailbe, beginning in July. I’ll be explaining these a bit later, both here and on the website. For now we will appreciate your prayers for our Board of Overseers, as they meet on June 23 to finalize the ministry plan for 2015/16.

Many thanks.

T. M. Moore, Principal
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Psalms to Pray for Today and Thursday
Today
Morning: Psalm 119.145-152; Psalm 71
Evening: Psalm 147

Tuesday
Morning: Psalm 119.153-160; Psalm 72
Evening: Psalm 148

T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.