“Lord, make me childlike. Deliver me from the urge to compete with another for place or prestige or position. I would be simple and artless as a little child. Deliver me from pose and pretense. Forgive me for thinking of myself. Help me to forget myself and find my true peace in beholding Thee. That Thou may answer this prayer I humble myself before Thee.

Lay upon me Thy easy yoke of self-forgetfulness that through it I may find res.

Amen”

Pg. 120

Discussion

Tozer’s central point is that much of our inner exhaustion comes from protecting our pride and managing how others see us. Christ’s meekness offers relief from this rat race but it requires us to give up many of the things we think are important..

1. Jesus challenges the world’s values.

The Beatitudes commend humility, mercy, and purity, while society often rewards pride, competition, and retaliation.

“And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16:15

Discussion Questions:

1. What attitudes does the world reward that Jesus teaches us to surrender?

2. How can something gain other people’s approval while still being displeasing to God?

3. Where do you feel the strongest pressure to follow the world’s values?

2. Pride is an exhausting burden.

Defending our importance makes criticism, rejection, and being overlooked laborous.

“Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” Proverbs 13:10

Discussion Questions:

1. Why does being overlooked or corrected sometimes provoke such a strong reaction?

2. How can we distinguish defending what is true from defending our own importance?

3. What would change if we received criticism with a willingness to learn before responding?

3. His Meekness is our rest.

“The burden is not a local one, peculiar to those first in hearers, but one which is borne by the whole human race. It consists not of political oppression or poverty or hard work. It is far deeper than that. It is felt by the rich as well as the poor, for it is something from which welath and idleness can never deliver us…..Rest is simply release from that burden.”

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are havy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto oyour souls.” Matt 11:28-30

Discussion Questions:

1. In light of the Sermon on the Mount and Christ’s call for us to be meek, what does meekness look like in Jesus’ life, and what should it look like in ours?

4. Pretense keeps us comparing ourselves with others.

Trying to appear richer, wiser, or more accomplished is hard work that points back to self.

“For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” 2 Corinthians 10:12

Discussion Questions:

1. When has comparison made it difficult to enjoy something you were previously thankful for?

2. In what areas are you most tempted to measure your worth against someone else?

3. How would your priorities change if your goal were faithfulness to God rather than appearing successful?

5. Artificiality keeps us afraid of being exposed.

Maintaining an impressive image is a house of cards that could collapse at any moment. The meekness of Christ frees us to live in the reality of Truth.

“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” Proverbs 29:25

Discussion Questions:

1. What is exhausting about trying to maintain an image that does not reflect who we really are?

2. Why can admitting “I don’t know” or “I was wrong” feel threatening?

6. Rest comes through surrender to Christ.

Learning His humility releases our need for admiration and allows us to focus on pleasing God.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29–30

Discussion Questions:

1. What connection does Jesus make between learning His meekness and finding rest?

2. What burden of pride, comparison, or pretense are you carrying that Christ calls you to surrender?

3. What practical choice could you make this week to please God without seeking recognition from others?

O God, be Thou exalted over my possessions. Nothing of earth’s treasures shall seem dear unto me if only Thou art glorified in my life. Be Thou exalted over my friendships. I am determined that Thou shalt be above all, though I must stand deserted and alone in the midst of the earth. Be Thou exalted above my comforts. Though it mean the loss of bodily comforts and the carrying of heavy crosses, I shall keep my vow made this day before Thee. Be Though exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please Thee even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream. Rise. O Lord, into Thy proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health and even my life itself. Let me sink that Thou mayest rise above.

Ride forth upon me as Thou didst ride into Jerusalem mounted upon the humble little beast, a colt, the foal of an ass, and let me hear the children cry to Thee, “Hosanna in the highest.”

Amen Pg 112

Discussion

1. We Changed Our Location

Sin disrupted the relationship man had with God.

“He adopted toward God an altered attitude, and by so doing destroyed the proper Creator-creature relation in which, unknown to him, his true happiness lay.” Pg 103

2. Jesus Can Change Us Back

“The atonement in Jesus’ blood makes such a change judicially possible and the working of the Holy Spirit makes it emotionally satisfying. The story of the prodigal son perfectly illustrates this latter phase.” Pg 104

• What does Tozer mean when he says that Jesus’ atonement makes this change “judicially possible”?
  
  

3. Determining the Reality of Where God Is.

You don’t know where you are until you know where God is.

“We must begin with God. We are right when, and only when, we stand in a right position relative to God, and we are wrong so far and so long as we stand in any other position.” Pg 105

• What does it mean to “begin with God” when evaluating our lives?

• How can we recognize when we are trying to make God fit our preferences?

4. Nothing Changes Until We Change Our Mind

You Have Choices

“The moment we make up our minds that we are going on with this determination to exalt God over all, we step out of the world’s parade. We shall find ourselves out of adjustment to the ways of the world, and increasingly so as we make progress in the holy way. We shall acquire a new viewpoint; a new and different psychology will be formed within us; a new power will begin to surprise us by its upsurgings and its outgoings. Pg 106

• What is the difference between agreeing that God should come first and deciding to put Him first?

• Where might honoring God put you out of step with the expectations of others?

• What do your daily choices reveal about what you value most?
  
  

5. Your Choices Become Simplified.

“His Christian life ceases to be the complicated thing it had been before and becomes the very essence of simplicity. By the exercise of his will, he has set his course, and on that course he will stay as if guided by an automatic pilot. If blown off course for a moment by some adverse wind, he will surely return again as by a secret bent of the soul.” Pg 107

• How can deciding beforehand to honor God simplify a difficult choice?

• Does having a clear direction make obedience easy, or does it make the right choice clearer?

• When you get off course, what helps you return to your commitment to God?

6. God Honors Our Efforts.

“I hope it is clear that there is a logic behind God’s claim to preeminence. That place is His by every right in earth or heaven. While we take to ourselves the place that is His, the whole course of our lives is out of joint. Nothing will or can restore order till our hearts make the great decision: God shall be exalted above.” Pg 108

• What distinguishes efforts God honors and efforts He won’t?

• Do you believe God is honoring your efforts to draw closer to Him? Why or why not?

• What needs to change for God to open the windows of heaven? (…prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10)

WARNING

Fundamental consideration: What does effort look like?

“Another saying of Jesus, and most disturbing one, was put in the form of a question. ‘How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?’ If I understand this correctly, Christ taught here the alarming doctrine that the desire for honor among men made belief impossible. Is this sin at the root of religious unbelief? Could it be that those ‘intellectual difficulties’ which men blame for their inability to believe are but smoke screens to conceal the real curse that lies behind them?” Pg 110

• In what ways can the desire for other peoples approval interfere with our honoring of God?

• Would you be the same Christian today if nobody could see any of your efforts? What does this reveal about who your efforts are really for?

“Distractions may hinder, but once the heart is committed to Him, after each brief excursion away from Him, the attention will return again and rest upon Him like a wandering bird coming back to its window.”

“I would emphasize this one committal, this one great volitional act which establishes the heart’s intention to gaze forever upon Jesus. God takes this intention for our choice and makes what allowances He must for the thousand distractions which beset us in this evil world. He knows that we have set the direction of our hearts toward Jesus, and we can know it too, and comfort ourselves with the knowledge that a habit of soul is forming which will become, after a while, a sort of spiritual reflex requiring no more conscious effort on our part.” ……

“Faith is the least self-regarding of the virtues. It is by its very nature scarcely conscious of its own existence. Like the eye which sees everything in front of it and never sees itself, faith is occupied with the Object upon which it rests and pays no attention to itself at all. While we are looking at God, we do not see ourselves – blessed riddance. The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing, but repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at Christ, the very things he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him. It will be God working in him to will and to do.”

“Faith is not in itself a meritorious act; the merit is in the One toward Whom it is directed. Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus. Sin has twisted our vision inward and made it self-regarding. Unbelief has put self where God should be, and is perilously close to the sin of Lucifer who said, “I will set my throne above the throne of God.” Faith looks out instead of in and the whole life falls into line.” PG 94-95

Discussion

Look to God With Your Heart

“Faith is the gaze of the soul upon a saving God.”
— A. W. Tozer, pg. 93

Main Thought: Faith means directing the attention of your heart toward God and continually returning your attention to Him.

1. Clarify What You Believe

Pgs. 89–90

Read Scripture with an open heart. Write down the truths you learn, and let further reading deepen your understanding.

Scripture informs us.

1. Israel’s king was commanded to copy God’s law, keep it with him, and read it throughout his life.

• Deuteronomy 17:18–19 — Reading God’s Word teaches us to fear Him and obey His commands.

Scripture builds us up.

• Deuteronomy 17:20 — God’s Word teaches humility and helps us remain faithful.

Discussion:

How can we approach Scripture with a willingness to learn rather than simply looking for support for what we already believe?

How can we approach Scripture with a willingness to learn rather than simply looking for support for what we already believe?

• Follow up: Have you ever changed your mind on anything you believe? How? Why?
  
  

2. The Simplicity of Faith

Pgs. 91–93

“But without faith it is impossible to please him…” Hebrews 11:6

Main Thought: Faith is taking God at His word and acting on what He says.

Philosophical faith.
Complicated explanations can make faith seem harder to understand than it is.

Practical faith.
Trust what God says and respond in obedience. You can exercise faith without fully understanding its definition. We learn what faith looks like by seeing people trust God in Scripture.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10:17

Faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Faith in practice.
Israel looked at the serpent with physical eyes. Believers look to Christ with their hearts. Tozer describes this inward attention to God as “the gaze of the soul.”

Discussion:
Although believing and looking are used synonimously, how might Tozer further draw a distinction between belief and faith? Pg 93

If someone asks you what it means to have faith, how would you describe it?

3. Look to God With Your Heart

Pgs. 94, 98–99

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…”
Hebrews 12:2

Main Thought: Faith is an ongoing attention to God. We learn to keep bringing our thoughts and affections back to Jesus.

“It would be like God to make the most vital thing easy and place it within the range of passibility for the weakest and poorest of us.” … “But looking is of the heart and can be done successfully by any man standing up or kneeling down or lying in his last agony a thousand miles from any church.” Pg 98

No special equipment is needed.
You can turn your heart toward God without special tools or resources.

You can do it at any time.
You do not have to wait for a special day to draw near to Christ.

You can do it anywhere.
At home, at work, or while traveling, you can direct your heart toward God.

Discussion:
In what ways have you moved from a head knowledge to a heart knowledge and began to exercise faith?
How can you practice looking to Christ during the ordinary responsibilities of your day?

4. Seek Clarity and Avoid Distractions

Main Thought: Prayer, Scripture, worship, and service help us keep our attention on God. When our minds wander, we return to Him.

Clarity.

1. Private prayer. Ask God for wisdom.

   • James 1:5 — God gives wisdom generously to those who ask.

2. Bible meditation. Think carefully about Scripture and apply it.

   • Psalm 119:99 — Meditating on God’s Word gives understanding.

   • Psalm 119:105 — “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

3. Church. Worshiping God helps us see our circumstances more clearly.

   • Psalm 73:16–17 — The psalmist gained understanding when he entered God’s sanctuary.

4. Service. Put God’s commands into practice by serving others.

   • Psalm 111:10 — Understanding accompanies obedience.

   • John 13:14–17 — Jesus calls us to follow His example of humble service.

5. Give meaning to these practices. Pray, study, worship, and serve with love and a heart directed toward Christ.

   • 1 Corinthians 13:3 — Even great sacrifices profit us nothing without charity.

   • Colossians 3:23–24 — Do your work heartily for the Lord, remembering that you serve Christ.

Avoid distractions.

Pgs. 94–95

When your attention wanders, bring it back to Jesus. Repeatedly returning to Him forms a habit of looking to God. Beware of turning your gaze toward yourself or others for direction and understanding.

Distractions draw our eyes and hearts away from God.

Following the crowd can replace careful attention to God and His Word. Tozer warns against merely repeating the religious ideas everyone around us accepts. Pgs. 96–97

Keep your eyes on God rather than people. Test what you hear against Scripture.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

Acts 17:11 The Bereans received the teaching willingly and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether it was true.

Discussion:
Which of these practices most helps you focus your heart on God?
What distractions do you face and how can you make returning to Christ a daily habit?

Takeaway

Faith is the continuing attention of the heart toward God.

Read His Word, take Him at His word, and respond in obedience. Seek Him through prayer, meditation, worship, and service.

When your attention wanders, return to Jesus. Keep looking to Him.

The Bible will never be a living Book to us until we are convinced that God is articulate in His universe. To jump from a dead, impersonal world to a dogmatic Bible is too much for most people. They may admit that they should accept the Bible as the Word of God, and they may try to think of it as such, but they find it impossible to believe that the words there on the page are actually for them. A man may say, “These words are addressed to me,” and yet in his heart not feel and know that they are. He is the victim of a divided psychology. He tries to think of God as mute everywhere else and vocal only in a book.

I believe that much of our religious unbelief is due to a wrong conception of and a wrong feeling for the Scriptures of Truth. A silent God suddenly began to speak in a book and when the book was finished lapsed back into silence again forever. Now we read the book as the record of what God said when He was for a brief time in a speaking mood. With notions like that in our heads how can we believe? Pg. 86-87

Discussion

1. God Is Speaking

Pg. 79

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

Main Thought: It is God’s nature to speak. God did not merely speak in the past; He continues to reveal Himself through His creation and His Word.

“God is speaking. Not God spoke, but God is speaking.” Pg. 79

• Psalm 19:1–2 — The heavens declare the glory of God.

• Romans 1:20 — God’s creation reveals His eternal power and Godhead.

Discussion:
What is the difference between believing God spoke and believing God is speaking?

2. The Written Word and the Spoken Word

Pgs. 80–81

Main Thought: The Bible is God’s written Word, but God’s power and authority are not confined to the pages of a book. His Word is living and active.

“God did not write a book and send it by messenger to be read at a distance by unaided minds. He spoke a Book and lives in His spoken words, constantly speaking His words and causing the power of them to persist across the years.” Pg. 81

• Psalm 33:9 — “For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.”

• Hebrews 11:3 — The worlds were framed by the Word of God.

• 2 Timothy 3:16 — All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.

Discussion:
What is the distinction between God’s written Word and His present, active voice?How can we recognize God’s continuing work without confusing our own thoughts with His Word?

3. Learning to Hear and Discern God’s Voice

Pgs. 81–83

Main Thought: God speaks, but we must learn to listen. Scripture helps us distinguish God’s truth from our own desires, emotions, and the competing voices of the world.

“The tragedy is that our eternal welfare depends upon our hearing and we have trained our ears not to hear.” Pg. 83

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

• John 10:27 — “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”

• 1 John 4:1 — Test the spirits whether they are of God.

Discussion:
What distractions or habits might prevent us from hearing God’s Word?
How does Scripture help us distinguish between our own desires and the leading of the Holy Spirit?
How can we test whether something we believe God is telling us is truly consistent with His Word?

4. Hearing God Speak — Understanding and Conviction

Pgs. 84–86

Main Thought: The Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture, reveals truth, and brings conviction that leads us toward repentance and a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Tozer describes a progression:

1. A Sound — An awareness of God’s presence.

2. A Voice — Recognizing that God is communicating.

3. An Intelligible Word — The Spirit illuminates Scripture.

4. Life and Light — Seeing and embracing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

“The Bible will never be a living Book to us until we are convinced that God is articulate in His universe.” Pg. 86:

• John 16:13 — The Spirit of truth guides us into truth.

• Acts 2:37 — “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart...”

• 2 Corinthians 7:10 — Godly sorrow produces repentance.

Discussion:
What is the difference between reading Scripture and having the Holy Spirit illuminate its meaning?
How can we distinguish genuine conviction from ordinary guilt or regret?
When God’s Word reveals something in our lives that needs to change, how should we respond?

Takeaway

God has not stopped speaking. The question is whether we have learned to listen.

God reveals Himself through creation and Scripture. The Holy Spirit opens our understanding, convicts us of sin, and leads us toward Christ.

Our responsibility is to listen, test what we hear against Scripture, and respond in faith and obedience.

Receptivity is not a single thing; rather, it is a compound, a blending of several elements within the soul. It is an affinity for, a bent toward, a sympathetic response to, a desire to have. From this it may be gathered that it can be present in degrees, that we may have little or more, depending upon the individual. It may be increased by exercise or destroyed by neglect. It is not a sovereign and irresistible force which comes upon us as a seizure from above. It is a gift of God, indeed, but one which must be recognized and cultivated as any other gift if we are to realize the purpose for which it was given.

Failure to see this is the cause of very serious breakdown in modern evangelism. The idea of cultivation and exercise, so dear to the saints of old, has now no place in our total religious picture. Pg. 74-75

Discussion

Pgs. 68–77

1. Divine Immanence — God Is Everywhere Present

Pgs. 68–69

Main Thought: God’s presence is an objective reality. There is no place where God is not, whether we recognize His presence or not.

Tozer begins with the doctrine of divine immanence: God is present throughout His creation, yet He is not confined by it. He is the uncaused Cause of all things. Throughout Scripture, we see that no one can escape His presence. Adam attempted to hide, Jonah fled, David acknowledged God’s inescapable presence, and Solomon recognized that even the heavens cannot contain Him. Jacob discovered that God was present when he had been unaware of Him.

1. What does it mean to say that God is everywhere present? How is this different from saying that God is in everything?

2. Psalm 139:7 asks, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” Why do you think people sometimes attempt to hide from God, even when they believe He is everywhere?

3. Genesis 28:16 records Jacob saying, “Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.” How often might we be unaware of God’s presence simply because our attention is elsewhere?

2. God’s Presence and the Manifestation of His Presence Are Not the Same

Pgs. 70–71

Main Thought: God is always present, but there is a difference between the reality of His presence and our conscious awareness and experience of Him.

Tozer distinguishes God’s universal presence from the manifestation of His presence. Although God is everywhere, not everyone experiences fellowship with Him in the same way. God desires to make Himself known, and Scripture connects the manifestation of His presence with love and obedience. We do not bring God nearer through our actions; rather, we respond to the God who is already present.

1. What is the difference between knowing intellectually that God is present and actually living in conscious fellowship with Him?

2. John 14:21 says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me ... and will manifest myself to him.” What relationship does Jesus establish between love, obedience, and the manifestation of His presence?

3. Can we mistake an emotional experience for the manifestation of God’s presence? Conversely, can we experience genuine fellowship with God without a strong emotional response?

3. Spiritual Receptivity Is the Key

Pgs. 72–76

Main Thought: Spiritual receptivity involves an inward longing for God accompanied by a willingness to respond to Him. Religious activity and emotional experiences must never become substitutes for genuinely knowing God.

Tozer asks why some people seem to find God in ways that others do not. His answer centers on spiritual receptivity: a heart inclined toward God and willing to act upon that desire. He also warns that religious activities themselves can become distractions. Entertainment, admiration of personalities, emotional responses, and even fellowship can draw our attention away from God when they become ends in themselves.

1. Tozer asks, “Why do some persons find God in ways that others do not?” (Pg. 72). What do you think distinguishes someone who genuinely pursues God from someone who merely participates in religious activities?

2. Tozer identifies distractions such as entertainment in gospel meetings, glorification of men, dynamic personalities, and emotional responses. How can otherwise good religious activities become substitutes for genuine fellowship with God?

3. Tozer warns against making the Word of truth conform to our experience. When have you been tempted to judge what Scripture says by what you have personally experienced, rather than allowing Scripture to correct your understanding?

4. How to Draw Nigh to God — Trust, Obedience, and Humility

Pgs. 76–77

Main Thought: We do not pursue God to make Him present. We pursue Him because He is present, and we desire to know Him.

Tozer concludes that God’s universal presence is a fact. We have been given the capacity to know Him, but we must respond to His overtures. Drawing near to God is not a matter of producing a particular feeling or manufacturing a spiritual experience. It involves trusting what He has revealed, obeying His Word, and approaching Him with humility.

Trust — Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Obedience — John 14:23: “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

Humility — James 4:10: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

1. Why must our pursuit of God begin with faith rather than with a desire for a particular feeling or experience?

2. How does obedience demonstrate genuine love for God? Is there an area of your life where you know what God requires but have been reluctant to obey?

3. James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” If God is already everywhere present, what does it mean for us to draw near to Him?

Takeaway

God’s universal presence is a fact, not a feeling. Pg 77

God is already present. Our responsibility is to respond to Him through faith, obedience, humility, and a genuine desire to know Him.

The question is not whether God is near to us, but whether we are drawing near to Him.

We apprehend the physical world by exercising the faculties given us for that purpose, and we possess spiritual faculties by means of which we can know God and the spiritual world if we will obey the Spirit’s urge and begin to use them…. pg 57

This eternal world will come alive to us the moment we begin to reckon upon its reality.

What do I mean by reality? I mean that which has existence apart from any idea any mind may have of it, and would exist if there were no mind anywhere to entertain a thought of it. That which is real has being in itself. It does not depend upon the observer for its validity. pg 58

[To] reckon. This does not mean to visualize or imagine. Imagination is not faith. The two are not only different from, but stand in sharp opposition to, each other. Imagination projects unreal images out of the mind and seeks to attach reality to them. Faith creates nothing;it simply reckons upon that which is already there.
pg 61

Discussion

1. God and the Spiritual World Are Real Regardless of Our Awareness

Pgs. 58, 60, 63

Main Thought: God’s presence does not depend upon our awareness; He is present even when we fail to notice Him.

Tozer explains that reality exists independently of our thoughts or perceptions. The spiritual world is present now, rather than something we will encounter only after death. We must begin to reckon upon its reality in our ordinary lives.

1. What is the difference between believing that God exists and living with an awareness that He is present?

2. Tozer warns against pushing the spiritual world into the future (Pg. 63). Do we tend to think of God primarily in connection with heaven rather than our daily lives? What does that cause us to overlook?

3. Acts 17:27 says that God is “not far from every one of us.” How might that truth change the way you approach work, family responsibilities, or difficult conversations?

4. Where have you noticed God’s goodness, provision, or correction during the past week? Did you recognize it at the time or only afterward?

5. What ordinary moments could become reminders to turn your attention toward God?

2. Faith Recognizes What Already Exists

Pgs. 58, 61

Main Thought: Faith creates nothing; it reckons upon the reality of God and responds to what is already true.

Tozer distinguishes faith from imagination. Imagination projects images from the mind, while faith recognizes what already exists. Our difficulty is that we may affirm the existence of the spiritual world without treating it as real in the way we treat the physical world.

1. What is the difference between trusting that God is present and feeling that God is present?

2. Tozer says, “Faith creates nothing; it simply reckons upon that which is already there” (Pg. 61). What would it mean to reckon upon God’s presence during a stressful or uncertain situation?

3. When you do not feel close to God, what truths from Scripture can you still rely upon?

4. How can we distinguish recognizing God’s work from attaching spiritual meaning to something simply because we want it to be true?

5. Romans 10:17 connects faith with hearing God’s Word. How can reading Scripture train us to recognize God’s character and work in everyday life?

3. Sin Clouds Our Perception of God

Pg. 62

Main Thought: Sin clouds the heart, and the visible can consume our attention until we overlook the eternal.

Tozer describes sin as clouding the lenses of our hearts. The immediate demands and attractions of the physical world can dominate our attention. Growing in awareness of God involves examining what captures our hearts and responding to His correction.

1. What most often captures your attention so completely that you stop considering God?

2. How do pride, resentment, worry, or an unwillingness to obey affect your awareness of Him?

3. Tozer says, “The world of sense triumphs” (Pg. 62). When have immediate feelings or visible circumstances carried more weight with you than what God has revealed?

4. Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” How does the condition of our hearts affect our spiritual perception?

5. How can we enjoy the physical world as God’s creation while keeping it from consuming our hearts?

6. Is there something God has already shown you that you are resisting? How might responding in obedience change your fellowship with Him?

4. We Must Exercise Our Spiritual Faculties and Actively Seek God

Pgs. 57, 62–63

Main Thought: We grow in spiritual perception as we seek God, attend to His Word, and obey Him.

Tozer explains that we exercise our physical faculties to apprehend the physical world and must also exercise our spiritual faculties to know God. He urges us to break the habit of ignoring the spiritual and shift our interest toward God. This calls for deliberate attention and practice in daily life.

1. What would it look like to seek God deliberately throughout an ordinary day?

2. Your questions on Pg. 62 ask: “Am I seeking? Am I listening? Am I feeling out the presence of God? Can I taste the goodness of God in my life?” Which question most challenges you, and why?

3. When you read Scripture, do you primarily gather information, or do you also respond to what God reveals about Himself?

4. Hebrews 5:14 describes senses “exercised to discern both good and evil.” How does repeated obedience help develop spiritual discernment?

5. John 14:21 connects loving Christ with keeping His commandments. How might obeying something you already understand help you become more attentive to Him?

6. What one habit could you practice this week to become more aware of God—pausing for prayer, meditating on Scripture, expressing gratitude, examining your heart, or acting upon a known duty?

It is woven of the fine threads of the self-life, the hyphenated sins of the human spirit. They are not something we do, they are something we are, and therein lies both their subtlety and their power.

To be specific, the self-sins are self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love, and a host of others like them. They dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our natures to come to our attention till the light of God is focused upon them. The grosser manifestations of these sins—egotism, exhibitionism, self-promotion—are strangely tolerated in Christian leaders, even in circles of impeccable orthodoxy. They are so much in evidence as actually, for many people, to become identified with the gospel. I trust it is not a cynical observation to say that they appear these days to be a requisite for popularity in some sections of the church visible. Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to excite little notice.

One should suppose that proper instruction in the doctrines of man’s depravity and the necessity for justification through the righteousness of Christ alone would deliver us from the power of the self-sins, but it does not work that way. Self can live unrebuked at the very altar. It can watch the bleeding Victim die and not be in the least affected by what it sees. It can fight for the faith of the reformers and preach eloquently the creed of salvation by grace and gain strength by its efforts. To tell the truth, it seems actually to feed upon orthodoxy and is more at home in a Bible conference than in a tavern. Our state of longing after God may afford it an excellent condition under which to thrive and grow.

Self is the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us.

Discussion

1. We Were Created for the Presence of God

Pgs. 40–46

Main Thought: God did not merely save us from something; He saved us for Himself.

Tozer begins with the idea that man’s purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him. Through Christ, the veil has been removed and we have direct access to God. Yet it is possible to have access to God without living with a real awareness of His presence.

1. What is the difference between knowing about God and actually knowing God? How can we tell the difference in our own lives?

2. Hebrews 10:19 says that through Christ we have boldness to enter into the holiest. If the way into God’s presence is already open, what keeps us from entering and enjoying fellowship with Him?

3. Tozer argues that we are already in God’s presence but often lack an awareness of it. How would your ordinary day change if you consciously remembered that you were continually in the presence of God?

4. Can a person be theologically knowledgeable, faithful in church, and genuinely saved while still having very little experiential fellowship with God? What might that look like?

5. What do you think it means practically to “abide” in Christ in John 15:4?

2. The Greatest Barrier to Experiencing God Is Self

Pgs. 51–52

Main Thought: Christ has removed the veil between God and man, but we can erect another veil—the veil of self.

Tozer identifies the veil as the “self-life”: self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love, and selfishness. More troubling still, these things can survive—and even flourish—inside outwardly Christian behavior.

1. Which of Tozer’s “self-sins” is easiest for us to recognize in other people? Which is hardest to recognize in ourselves? Why?

2. Of these—self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love, and selfishness—which poses the greatest danger to your fellowship with God?

3. Tozer says, “Self can live unrebuked at the very altar” (Pgs. 51–52). How can something genuinely Christian—Bible study, ministry, service, giving, teaching, even prayer—become centered around self?

4. How can we distinguish between doing something for God’s glory and doing the same thing because we want recognition, approval, or admiration?

5. Ananias and Sapphira wanted the appearance of sacrifice without making the complete sacrifice (Acts 5:1–10). Where are we tempted to appear more surrendered to God than we actually are?

6. Tozer says, “Self-sins can feed on orthodoxy just as much in a Bible conference as in a tavern” (Pg. 52). How could sound doctrine itself become a source of pride rather than a means of drawing us nearer to God?

7. John 3:30 says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” What would “decrease” actually look like in your life?

3. The Veil of Self Can Only Be Removed at the Cross

Pgs. 52–53

Main Thought: The way into deeper fellowship with God is not the improvement of self, but the crucifixion of self.

Tozer’s solution is not managing the self-life more effectively. It must be taken to the cross. But he also warns against turning “self-crucifixion” into another doctrine we agree with intellectually without actually surrendering ourselves to God.

1. Jesus says, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). What is the difference between denying yourself something and denying self?

2. Tozer uses Saul’s partial obedience in 1 Samuel 15. Saul destroyed what he considered worthless but kept what he considered valuable.
   What are we willing to surrender to God because surrendering it costs us very little? What are the “best sheep and oxen” we are tempted to keep?

3. Can we honestly say that something has been surrendered to God if we still reserve the right to take it back when God’s will conflicts with ours?

4. What might it look like to believe strongly in the doctrine of self-denial while avoiding actual self-denial?

5. What part of yourself—your reputation, plans, comfort, ambitions, possessions, relationships, accomplishments, control, or something else—would be hardest to place completely in God’s hands?

6. Your note on Pg. 53 says, “The victim doesn’t hang on the cross forever…” Why is that important? What do we gain when self loses its position at the center?

7. If Galatians 2:20—“yet not I, but Christ liveth in me”—became increasingly true of your life, what would actually change?

“For who hath despised the day of small things?”

For most of my adult life, I maintained a pretty good physical fitness routine. I can hardly remember a time when I didn’t belong to a gym. Whether I was in high school, serving in the Marines, finishing college and starting a career, or serving in the Missouri General Assembly, I went to the gym several times a week - it had become normal to me and allowed me to better manage other expectations I had for my physical fitness.

I was so conditioned to it that if I skipped a week - or sometimes even a day - I could almost feel my body beginning to atrophy. It was probably all in my head, but I was in good shape, and the discipline had created condition and expectations.

Then life changed. A lot.

After I left the legislature in 2019, I wasn’t in charge of my schedule anymore. I had employers with demands on my time. I was married, had two children, and another on the way.

Life got away from me.

The one thing I said would never happen finally happened: I fell completely out of my fitness routine. My body began to show it, and I began to feel it.

At first, I thought, I’ll get right back into it, but responsibilities multiplied and gym time became incredibly tempting extra rest at the end of a long day. Weeks became months. Months became years. And the number on the scale was climbing.

I always intended to get back into shape. But the farther I got from where I used to be, the farther away getting back there Eventually seemed.

The drive to the gym wasn’t difficult. I drive places every day. What became difficult was getting into the car knowing I was about to be reminded of just how far I had fallen from where I used to be.

Eventually, though, you have to tell your body what it’s going to do. You have to get around all the excuses standing between you and picking up that dumbbells. And so I did.

And that’s when I noticed something.

All the little things I was using as excuses were things I never thought twice about when I was already in the routine.

Driving there. Changing clothes. Finding the time. Being sore the next morning - they weren’t obstacles before. They were simply part of the process.

But now I was looking at losing twenty pounds, rebuilding my strength, and recovering years of lost conditioning. It seemed like an eternity. In my mind, I might as well have been training for Mr. Olympia - and I had absolutely no intention of competing for Mr. Olympia.

That’s one of the strange things about starting over. The little things that once seemed like a normal part of the process can suddenly look like mountains blocking your path when you find yourself back at square one.

Maybe the mountain hasn’t actually gotten any higher - maybe you’re just standing at the bottom again, remembering what it was like to be halfway up.

So here’s some of the good practical advice for life and for where you find yourself spiritually with God.

In Zechariah 4, Israel has returned from years of Babylonian captivity, and the temple in Jerusalem is being rebuilt from the rubble of what was once, a glorious temple built by Solomon.

The work had begun under Zerubbabel, the governor, but it had stalled out due to opposition and discouragement.

Compared to Solomon’s previous temple, what they were building might have looked unimpressive - small beginnings for a temple that would fall far short of the glorious temple that Solomon built. What’s more, is it was being built in large part by people who have been held in captivity, not by the citizens of a massive and wealthy kingdom ruled by the wisest man to have ever lived.

Some of the people were looking at what Zerubbabel had accomplished so far and were likely thinking, “This isn’t much.” Or even “We’re not doing far enough.” And that was fair - the rebuilt temple didn’t initially look like the amazing and glorious achievement people remembered from Solomon’s day, it looked like a pile of rubble and ash left behind by outsiders who invaded from thousands of miles away to sack the city.

So volatile Were the emotions and thoughts of the people that when the first foundation stones were laid, Ezra records that some men rejoiced while others cried. Some might have cried because those first stones represented what once was and how far the people had fallen while others rejoiced because that first stone represented a small victory after years of captivity.

Either way, the temple needed to be rebuilt.

When some of the people started to compare the work they were doing to what had been done before, God’s simple rebuke reminded them that their work wasn’t about their satisfaction - it was about their obedience to keep themselves at work, laying one stone at a time until the walls went up and the temple was complete.

God asks, “For who hath despised the day of small things?” And in that one question reminded them that He is God, not them, and sometimes we have to start the process of redrawing the plans, preparing the ground, and by laying one stone at a time, rebuilding the walls.

Neither the first temple nor the second was built in a single day. Our timing and ability to complete a temple is irrelevant to God because He never asks for perfection, but he does demand obedience; that we remain faithful to lay one stone at a time until the walls go up.

Here is the opening few paragraphs of Chapter 2, The Pursuit Of God, that will help set the tone for discussion.

The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing

Before the Lord God made man upon the earth, He first prepared for him a world of useful and pleasant things for his sustenance and delight. In the Genesis account of the creation these are simply “things.” They were made for man’s use. but they were meant always to be external to the man and subservient to him. In the deep heart of the man was a shrine where none but God was worthy to come. Within him was God; without, a thousand gifts which God had showered upon him.

But sin has introduced complications and has made those very gifts of God a potential source of ruin to the soul.

Our woes began when God was forced out of His central shrine and things were allowed to enter. Within the human heart things have taken over. Men have now by nature no peace within their hearts, for God is crowned there no longer, but there in the moral dusk, stubborn and aggressive usurpers fight among themselves for the first place on the throne.

This is not a mere metaphor, but an accurate analysis of our real spiritual trouble. There is within the human heart a tough, fibrous root of fallen life whose nature is to possess, always to possess. It covers things with a deep and fierce passion. The pronouns my and mine look innocent enough in print, but their constant and universal use is significant...........Things have become necessary to us........God’s gifts now take the place of God, and the whole course of nature is upset by the monstrous substitution.

Discussion

1. We Were Created for God, Not For Things
   - Sin Turns God’s Gifts Into God’s Rivals
   Question - What does it mean to be “Poor in Spirit?”
   

2. Freedom Comes Through Surrender, Not Necessarily Loss
   - Abraham Shows Us What Surender Looks Like
   Question - As you examine Abraham’s life, where do you see God teaching him to surrender? How did Abraham grow in his willingness to trust God?
   Question - What does surrender to God look like for Christians today? Where do you see the need for surrender in your own life?
   

3. Dethroning Our “Things” Requires Deliberate Action
   - “The Christian who is alive enough to know himself even slightly will recognize the symptoms of this possession malady and will grieve to find them in his own heart.” pg 35
   Question - What are practical steps to dethroning things that get in the way of your pursuit of GOd?
   Question - What can you learn from others in the Bible who had to take steps to surrender?
   

Truth is the only thing that matters and the more you put distance between yourself and the truth because you’re trying to not upset the apple cart, the more distance you are putting between yourself and God.

Nothing matters more than the truth - certainly not the applecart.

Let God handle the applecart, he’s stronger than you are anyway.

Nothing matters more than Jesus - He is the truth.

Give your whole life to him.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

GENESIS 12:12-20
Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.
And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.
And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

Abram’s Problem

Abram feared that telling the truth would cost him something – in this case, his life. So, he decided to compromise the truth to protect himself while still trying to continue toward the calling God had given him.

God told Abram to leave his home and to trust him to show him a the land he wanted Abram and his family to possess. This command came with great promises of blessings not only for Abram but for all his decedent generations.

But along the way, fear entered the picture. Instead of trusting God, Abram turned to his own logic and strategy for self-preservation and this lack of commitment to obey and trust in God is a lesson every Christian should heed.

As they traveled there was an encounter with the Egyptian Pharoah and Abram was afraid that Pharoah would kill Abram and take his beautiful wife and so he chose to like about his relationship with Saria and tell Pharoa that she was merely his sister to preserve his life.

Not only did this preserve his life, but the Bible tells us that Pharoah gave Abram sheep, oxen, servants and all other sorts of gifts and blessing for Sarai’s sake.

But then, God sent a plague on Pharoah and his household who quickly perceived he had been lied to and then kicked Abram and Sarai and their entire household out.

I am inclined to believe that it is unlikely Pharoah would have killed Abram just to take Sarai in the first place. Not only because he let them live after all the disease and drama, but also because God had a destination in mind for Abram and he still had further to journey before he got there.

Abram’s mistake was this: Abram’s fear of losing his life directed his mistake of presuming an outcome rather than trusting that God was sufficient to preserve His own plan and purpose.

There are many lessons here:

1. There are many Christians today who play politics with the truth. They do this because they are afraid of what other people might do or say. Fear of man is one of the easiest traps to fall into, and it causes people to do and say – or refuse to do and say – things they later regret.
   
   It happens in the pews. A person leaves church bold in conviction but suddenly becomes quiet about faith at work for fear of what other people might think of them. People want to be accepted by their friends so they trade things for social comfort.
   
   It happens in the pulpits. Preachers and teachers adjust the transparency of their convictions because they rationalize that it’s just as important to be invited to that conference speak. Again, the Lord might be dealing with them on an issue that might be at odds with the prevailing thought amonsgt their crowd so it gets suppressed so as not to rock the boat with their group.
   
   In both cases above, these people don’t have the courage to be alone - you could say they are in fear for their life in a proverbial sense.
   
   In both of these instances, people also come to conclusions of what they will loose unless they trade something for it. Abram traded the truth and his wife for his life. The question we need to ask ourselves is this: Are we willing to make trades to keep our “life?” What we willing to loose our closest friends, our social media following, or our prminance if it means standing by something God is speaking to us about?
   
   The other question is to ask what might God keep from us if we decide our click or social comfort is more important than his calling?

   The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25

   You must have the courage to stand alone. The truth is not a platform of convenience that’s for you to bend and shift for postion so you can keep standing comfortably on your own two legs.
   
   God gave you a calling, and whether you arrive or not is entirely up to God – not you. Stop thinking that whether you “arrive” is ultimately in your hands. The only thing that is up to you is whether you will be obedient in all things, even when the truth might cost you your life, or when you perceive that the truth might cost you the entire mission.
   
   For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10
   

2. You cannot leave the truth behind and still arrive in the center of God’s will for your life. It’s impossible.
   
   Was Pharaoh wrong to simply take a man’s wife, whether he believed she was another man’s wife or merely his sister? Absolutely he was. Did he deserve what God did to him? Absolutely.
   
   Might things have turned out differently if Abram had trusted God instead? I have no doubt whatsoever. It could very well have been the case that Pharaoh let them go, or that God would have used Pharaoh’s aggression against him and for the greater glory of God.
   
   So here’s the lesson in this final point: never think that you alone will bear the consequences of your sin. It is entirely possible for someone to cut short another person’s life against the will of God by breaking His commandment against murder.
   
   Therefore, we can easily deduce that our actions can have wide-ranging consequences on other people.

3. Our trade-off is often a solution in search of a problem. Abram had a solution for a problem that didn’t even exist yet. How often do we do the same thing - imagining what could go wrong and before theirs ever a hint at any conflict, we’ve already decided to forfiet the truth rationalizing that it is necessary for the “more importnat” ideals of peace or unity. Just trust God, be a vessel for Truth, and let work out the battle - He can do it better than you can anyway.

   
   “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” Marcus Aurelius

Bonus lesson:

If you are married, God fully intends for your spouse to be with you when he calls you somewhere. He wants her there because he wants you there and you need to trust God for both your sakes. To many men might be believing that their calling is exclusively there’s and so they never factor their family into their calling adn purpose, whatever it is – maybe even thinking God only wants them to travel the road before them. The same goes for your children.

That’s a dangerous place to be.

How do you know you’re not forgiving somebody?

Gossip is one thing that might give away your unforgiveness. It certainly fits with the idea that you would be withholding goodness from somebody if you continually replay with other people, how somebody else has wronged you.

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32

If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink… Romans 12:2

Not praying for them might also be a debt giveaway that you haven’t forgiven somebody.

Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matthew 5:44

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any… Mark 11:25

The bottom line is this, as Christians, we’ve been the recipient of forgiveness far greater than any forgiveness we will ever, or could ever, possibly need to give.

And if we don’t forgive EVERYBODY (Mt 18:35) who has wronged us, God is going to judge us, and punish us in a way that is nothing less than pure justice. And it terrifying.

Read this passage below.

It’s Jesus’s own words on this exact subject.

It’s a Truth so important that he had to die for it.

Matthew 18

26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

28 ¶ But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35 ¶ So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

In Pilgrim’s Progress, the story follows a man named Christian who becomes deeply troubled by the burden he carries on his back, a weight that represents the guilt of his sin. Realizing the danger of remaining where he is, he leaves the City of Destruction and begins a journey toward the Celestial City of the King, hoping that somewhere along the way he will finally be freed from the burden he cannot remove himself. While on his journey, he meets up with a man named Mr. Worldly Wiseman who tells Christian that he can get some relief of his burden if he relocates to the Village of Morality where there are laws that will surely make him feel better and give him relief for his burden.

Christian listens to Mr. Worldly Wiseman but he later discovers that the city is built alongside a dangerous hill that John Bunyan uses to illustrate the law. This hill though leans so far over everyone that they all stand in danger of being crushed. This causes Christian to be in a constant state of fear — as long as he decides to remain under this hill, he will never have peace.

Here’s some thoughts about the grace and the law Jesus came to fulfil and why - I hope this is a blessing to you.

You are not the problem for noticing that there is a problem. The problem is all around us. Lies, wickedness, confusion. This world is in trouble.

But to those who choose willful blindness, and who refuse to see what must change, you will always be the problem.

Why? Because discernment and clarity take effort.

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Many would rather assume everything is right than confront what is wrong in an effort to make it right. So when you point out what is broken, they will accuse you of being divisive. They will say you are disturbing the peace. They will suggest you are the source of tension, because acknowledging the real issue would require them to confront it.

And they just can’t confront it. It makes them uncomfortable. It brings back uncomfortable memories. Confronting what is wrong might cause other people to dislike them and just thought of that alone terrifies them. Comfort feels safer than correction. Quiet feels safer than the truth. Unity feels better than accountability.

And for that reason, blindness is their strategy of survival.

These people exist everywhere. The highest echelons of power in Washington, in church pews, homes, boardrooms, and in groups of friends. It would be a mistake to believe that just because somebody holds a position of authority that they have the courage to do what is right.

Overtime, less people are willing to openly pursue the truth because truth tellers often pay a price. The willfully ignorant can be brutal toward those who expose what they would rather ignore.

And as time passes, fewer people fail to pursue the truth because they don’t have the courage to be alone - they need to be with people. And so, they exchange the truth for the crowd.

Jesus Christ isn’t it just somebody who told the truth, he IS the Truth.

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:6

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Matthew 7:14

Few there be.

You are not the problem because you noticed the problem with yourself, with your fallen condition, and with the world around you. Desperately pursue the Truth at all costs. And when you do find Him, you will never be alone again.

…I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:20

Over the years, I've worked with men who want to pursue something so badly that they put their family’s needs and comforts on the back burner. I had a man ask me one time about how he should go about to get started in politics. I asked him what he did for a living and he told me he was unemployed.

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I asked him how his family was getting by and he said they were living off a few months worth of savings in the bank. His hope was that he could run a campaign over the next year, get elected and live off the salary of the position. In the meantime, his plan was to figure out a living along the way.

I told him that was a terrible plan. I told him his family needed him to be a provider more than his town needed him to be a mayor and it would be better if he secured a job before putting his family at risk of losing everything because he didn’t have reliable income to provide for them.

This was sound advice, but he already had ideas of where his political career would be taking him and I quickly learned there wasn’t anything I could say to get him to consider his family first. He wasn’t strong enough to do his duty as a husband and a father – he was crippled by his own ego and his family was feeling the pain as they limped along month to month.

Don't be that guy. In the Marines I learned a very valuable principle "Leaders Eat Last." It’s also the title of a good book by Simon Sineck about the principle of leadership that requires you put the welfare, moral, and comfort of the people following you ahead of your own. In a family, someone is always carrying the weight. Sometimes it is equally distributed but when it gets heavy, usually someone bears more of the load than others. When there is an imminent burden to bear, such as, how are we going to pay for groceries, or the next months rent, don't allow your ego and ambition to compete with the needs of your family. Rather, your family should be your ambition and your ego should be used to satisfy their needs long before you use it to satisfy your own appetites.

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Have you ever been in the presence of something miraculous? I mean there was no doubt about it - you’ve seen God move, and you’ve seen people respond. There’s no confusion about what just happened, God was here. Maybe it was a little less pronounced, but nevertheless, it got you thinking.

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For too long, you begin to think that you have some things figured out. You think you know exactly what’s going on, and at some point you tell yourself something along these lines: “OK, it’s time for me to talk now, everyone needs to here what I’m thinking. I can’t deprive people of my great idea.”

Matthew 17:1–8

1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

Imagine Peter seeing Jesus glorified the way he was on the Mount of Transfiguration. And standing there with Jesus are Moses and Elijah - there’s no doubt Peter surely must’ve felt blessed to be in the presence of such a mighty work of God. But then Peter has an idea. He thinks he has an answer everybody needs to hear, to a question nobody has asked, only to be interrupted by God the Father, who continues speaking right over Peter as if he wasn’t even there at all.

Have you been there? A moment when you thought everyone should take notice of your big idea and appreciate your deep insight.

Fortunately, for Peter, in that moment, he heard the voice of God and it reminded him that what was going happening. This moment wasn’t about him or his ideas. It wasn’t Moses, and it wasn’t Elijah. The focus was on Jesus Christ alone. Peter quickly adjusted himself, and by “adjusted himself”, I mean, he changed his entire posture. He wasn’t standing up trying to get everybody’s attention anymore. He was on his face, acknowledging and who he was in the presence of God Almighty.

And then, after Peter got himself and his thinking right, he looked up, and all he could see was Jesus.

What about you? Are you relying on your own insights instead of listening to the voice of God? Is God trying to get your attention while you’re busy speaking up because you want to everyone focused on you? Pay attention, God may be calling your attention to someone more important than you in this very moment - Jesus.

If you think you’re just trying to get God’s attention, maybe it’s time to close your mouth, set aside your own ideas, and be still for a little while.

And when you hear God’s voice, don’t lift your eyes until you’re sure that when you do, you won’t see anything in front of you - except Jesus.

Here’s some extra food for thought:

The ideas you think are so important, are probably not near as important as you think they are.

Do you think politics are so important that it should take all your time and attention? Do you think your political skills come in handy in heaven? Or that we will get to debate over who should be in charge or whose ideas should move forward? Somebody tried that once and it didn’t turn out well.

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world…” - John 18:36

Do you think your career is the most important thing? Who do you think gave you your career? Where do you think opportunity comes from?

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights…” James 1:17

Does an education take center stage in your thought thoughts? What’s the point of your education? What do you plan to do with it? Do you want it to serve yourself? Your community? Or is your main objective to use it to serve God?

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…” Proverbs 1:7

“As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom…” Daniel 1:17

Do you think the main thing right now is keeping some kind of score? What are you playing for? How long are you going to be able to hold on to your winnings?

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth… But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” Matthew 6:19–20

“But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth…” Deuteronomy 8:18

Your flesh is a more sinister enemy to your spiritual life than you realize. In fact, it is the enemy. Your desires, your cravings, your ego - all these things are competing for the control of your mind. It’s so hard to do what we know is right. And the very things we tell ourselves we hate because they are wrong, we find ourselves doing anyway. (Romans 7:15-20)

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The flesh and the spirit cannot both be full and healthy in your life. If you feed one you’ll starve the other. That’s just the way it works. But in this life, we have to contend with our bodies and flesh - our mind will drift into what naturally feels right, satisfying our physical desires and our ego.

Do not minimize what’s happening here, or rationalize your behavior, simply to avoid dealing with it. There’s a battle raging for the dominance of your mind. It’s an all out war.

Your mind is life’s steering wheel - whatever pulls your attention in this direction or that determines the path. And all along the way you’ll be forced to make choices that keep you on that path or redirect it.

“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:5,6)

You don’t owe your fleshly cravings or your ego anything, they are not entitled to be fed by you or anyone else (Romans 8:12). We are however bought with a price and told to glorify God in our spirit and our body (1 Cor 6:19-20) Here’s the rule Paul is teaching us: you cannot offer your fleshly cravings, your ego, and the Holy Spirit a seat at the same table. They are hostile toward each other so you have to chose who gets your company. Scripture is unambiguous about this hostility:

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:7,8)

Now, you might be thinking, you e been asked to accomplish an impossible task. But how often do you say these words: “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Did it ever occur to you that if you put God first, even you cannot be against yourself? In other words, the flesh and ego you carry in life cannot work against you because you’re putting God first in everything.

Just because something is a struggle does not mean it’s impossible. It is only a struggle because it is possible. The Bible says specifically to this issue, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37). It’s not just a cliché or a charming sign you hang in your living room - It’s a promise of God to all those that mind themselves to put Him first.

Christianity was never meant to be lived in isolation. We should seek to strengthen ourselves in the Lord and we should actively strengthen one another in the Lord.

This isn’t a one or the other proposition, these two ideas work together for the good of the individual and for the good of the whole body of Christ - and in so strengthening the whole body, it strengthens us individually.

“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Without the strength of my legs, back, and abdomen, my arms are substantially weaker. The point and undeniable truth is this: The church is built and made stronger when each member receives edification and gives it freely because this this both strengthens the individual and the church as a whole. The stronger the one, the stronger the other.

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This truth is illustrated mathematically in the movie “A Beautiful Mind” which tells the story of the brilliant mathematician John Nash. Nash challenged the idea in Adam Smith’s book “Wealth of Nations,” that the people as a whole are best served when each person acts purely in his own self-interest. Instead, Nash was able to demonstrate mathematically that people are actually better off when each person consider what is both good for themselves and good for the group. We see this principal carry forward in economics as well because it is in the best interest of both the producer in consumer to acquire value. Both producer and consumer should offer honesty and integrity to each other to ensure everything from sound prices, quality, products, and the propagation of economic and industrial progress

This principal mirrors, Paul’s instruction perfectly. The body of Christ grows strong, not when each believer focuses only on his own spiritual life, but when we invest in one another by encouraging, comforting, correcting, and building up those around us. When we do this, we’ll soon realize that edifying the brothers and sisters around us is far more important to our own greater spiritual growth than we might have otherwise realized.

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“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Matt 19:26

Right now, you might be thinking you’re facing something that is practically impossible to overcome. However, as a Christian, deep down you know that nothing is actually impossible with God. But do you know where that struggle comes from?

You have an imperfect fallen nature.

“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Galatians 5:17

You are a spiritual being, but at this moment, you are limited to a human dimension and naturally you struggle as we sinful humans do. The world, Satan, and your own flesh all are competing against the Holy Spirit for the attention of your heart and your mind. Now, if you are in this position, take just a moment to think about all your doubts that you’ve had - think about each one. Now think about the mightiest things that God has done. You can find these in the Bible and in the testimony of that’s people. And if you are a child of God, you should be able to point your own salvation.

Now unpacked those doubts and lay them down at the feet of Jesus.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28–30

“Oh, but Paul, I do believe! I have given Jesus everything but I still have these doubts and fears. “

Listen to yourself! When you give Jesus everything, you are supposed to have nothing left. If you gave Jesus everything why do you still have something in your hands? You’re still holding onto your doubts and fears, so clearly, you have not given those to God.

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If you want a peace that passes all understanding, even your own understanding, you have to let go of everything and give God full control of your circumstances in your life.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Proverbs 3:5–6

You need to consider right now before you work yourself up and let a dark spirit get an advantage, that God might have a greater purpose than what you think is the main effort right now.

No matter how emotionally difficult or physically tough what you’re going through is right now, learn to understand that God sees a bigger picture than you do. And if that’s too difficult, focus on your faith and your trust in him that His will might be made known and glorified and submit yourself to His will no matter the outcome- get back to the simple but deeply meaningful and ever so important place of full surrender.

Jesus was once under pressure too, more than you will ever know. It was at this moment that he personally demonstrated what absolute surrender looks like - and he left us His very words from His personal experience in the garden and he did it all for you - for this every moment you would be facing right now when more than anything else on this earth, you need to completely surrender to His will, no matter the pain - no matter the cross you have to carry.

“… Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42

Let it go - give it to God.

#christianlife #unashamed