Growing into the Lord (2)

Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. 1 Timothy 4.16

Spiritual Friendship
Aelred of Rievaulx (1109-1167)
“Thus it is the mark of a virtuous mind always to meditate upon lofty and difficult things, so that it either attains or more clearly understands and recognizes that which it desires: so we should not believe that a man has made but little progress when he has recognized virtue and learned from that how far he is from virtue. However, the Christian ought never despair of attaining any virtue, since his ears echo daily with that saying from the gospel, ‘Seek and you shall find.’”

True friendship requires virtue – Christian virtue. Friends in the Lord love one another, trust one another, and depend on and confide in one another. But virtue comes only through the contemplation of Him Who is all virtue, even our Lord Jesus Christ. We are striving to grow into Him, and to help others grow into Him as well (Col. 3.1-3; 2 Cor. 3.12-18). Without a clear and compelling vision of the exalted Christ, coupled with regular communion with Him through various spiritual disciplines, it is impossible to make progress in virtue, or in friendship and watching over the soul of another. But we also need to know where we stand in relation to that holy and glorious vision. By keeping a close watch over our own souls, we’ll be in a better position to help others grow into Jesus in theirs.

What is your practice of keeping a close watch over your soul? How do you determine where you need to be growing more as a friend of Jesus?

Pastoral Hope Initiative
Pastor, where are you in your walk with and work for the Lord? Are you growing? Covering all the bases? Working fruitfully toward the Kingdom of God? Our Pastoral Hope Initiative can help you establish a framework and baseline for steady, fruitful growth into the Lord Jesus; and for the remainder of this spring, we’re waiving the fee for men who want to work through this 14-week protocol. Watch this brief video, then, if you’re interested, let me hear from you at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The calling to make disciples
As pastors and church leaders, making disciples is our primary calling. But we need to make sure we’re growing as disciples, and that our tools for disciple-making are in top condition. Our book, Fan into Flame, provides an overview of the work of disciple-making, together with helpful assessments to discover areas where you most need to grow. Order your copy by clicking here.

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations from Aelred of Rievaulx, Spiritual Friendship, tr. By Mark F. Williams (Scranton: The University of Scranton Press, 1994, 2002).