 If you’re like me, you don’t enjoy any visit to a doctor. It is really not that I am afraid of the doctor; it is that I am often frustrated with the process. I know waiting and paperwork is just part of going to a doctor’s appointment. That is not the frustrating part. The frustrating part is trying to explain the ailment. You know what I mean; you recite all your symptoms to the doctor or his nurse. They may ask a dozen questions attempting to get at the root of your problem. Of course, in the end, I am always glad I endured the questions because most of the time they result in an accurate diagnosis.
We should think about our spiritual health in the same way. The Puritans used to refer to ministers as “physicians of the soul.” The reason for that designation is that they helped people discern their spiritual condition. That spiritual process often looks a lot like the physical process – questions and answers. There is a helpful book that I would recommend to anyone who is really interested in having a “Spiritual Check Up.” Maybe it is time for your “Spiritual Examination.” If so, you might want to read Don Whitney’s book Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health. I am not going to share with you all the content of this book, but I do want to share with you the ten questions. Even if you never read the book, the questions themselves offer a revealing look at your spiritual condition. 1. Do You Thirst for God? 2. Are You Governed Increasingly by God’s Word? 3. Are You More Loving? 4. Are You More Sensitive to God’s Presence? 5. Do You Have a Growing Concern for the Spiritual and Temporal Needs of Others? 6. Do You Delight in the Bride of Christ? 7. Are the Spiritual Disciplines (prayer, Scripture meditation, fasting, and so on) Increasingly Important to You? 8. Do You Still Grieve Over Sin? 9. Are You a Quicker Forgiver? 10. Do You Yearn for Heaven and To Be With Jesus? An honest answer to these questions can be revealing. Please consider reading this book soon. Our salvation is rooted in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. We can’t earn it, but we can and should constantly examine how we are progressing in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5 states, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” In Christ, Blain Craig
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I am spoiled. In this “instant” world, I often catch myself getting frustrated when things don’t come “instantly.” In fact, I am becoming convinced that having everything instantly available to us has made us even busier than before. The other day I actually caught myself getting frustrated that an email was not coming through in the number of seconds I thought it should. Think about that, words and thoughts fly through cyberspace instantly, but undoubtedly not fast enough for me. That is at best misguided and at worst sinful. I can’t speak for you, but I need to be careful that I don’t value speed above quality. You can get a hamburger pretty fast these days, but that doesn’t mean it’s a hamburger you want to eat.
The Bible is not silent on this issue. As we read together just a couple of weeks ago, James says, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.” Impatience is a form of grumbling. The danger is not really that we want things too quickly. The real danger is the underlying mindset. We are not kingdom focused. When I am impatient, I am likely missing whatever God has for me in that moment of waiting. Maybe I should be praying, maybe I should be witnessing, or maybe I should just be focused on him. Notice also the emphasis on the passage about the second coming of Christ. God’s timing is perfect. Regardless of how or why I am delayed, it is not beyond God’s sovereignty and the unfolding of his plan. Not only should I remember this next time I am in a fast food line that is taking too long, but we should remember this in the life of the church as well. At Oak Crest, let’s “establish our hearts.” Let’s settle in for the long, hard work of the Kingdom. The timing of it all is his timing, not ours. As we are patient and diligent in the work of glorifying God through evangelism and worship and discipleship, he will be faithful to bring the fruit each day of our lives. In Christ, Blain Craig  It is so easy to take things for granted. Maybe it is just me, but I have been so blessed in my life that I often assume I will always have everything I have. I often take for granted by beautiful wife. She is everything God created a wife to be, yet it is far too rare that I really stop and consider her love and devotion to me. The same could be said about my children. They are wonderful gifts from the Lord, but how often do I really appreciate how terrific they are? I take my own health for granted. We rarely think about breathing, until we can’t. In fact, I have found that it is the very things that I treasure most and depend upon most that I take for granted most. I pray God will further convict me of this, constantly bringing these things to mind so that I might praise him for them.
Do we ever take things for granted in the church? You could probably think of a dozen blessings from God that you have just assumed have always been there and always will be there. I want to mention one in particular: The Cooperative Program of Southern Baptists. I think we take the Cooperative Program for granted. If you are asking yourself, what is the Cooperative Program, that is clear evidence that we have not given it due attention. The Cooperative Program is the means by which Southern Baptists all over the world are able to do kingdom work on a massive scale. Each month we give 10% of our received money to Southern Baptist causes in Texas and throughout the world through the Cooperative Program. In addition, at various times in the year we supplement this regular giving with special offerings. At Easter, we give generously to North American missions through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. In September, we participate in our Reach Texas campaign. This offering supplements our cooperative program giving right here in Texas, for missions mobilization, disaster relief, and church planting. Finally, at Christmas we give to international missions through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Why do I say we take this for granted? The Cooperative Program is the greatest mechanism in the history of the church for the funding of missions and other kingdom work. I truly believe that with all my heart. That which we take for granted, we are in danger of losing. Let’s recommit anew to embrace this gift of cooperation God has entrusted to us. In the process, we will be taking the gospel to the uttermost ends of the earth, even though most of us will never actually go to those places. In Christ, Blain Craig |
AuthorDr. Blain Craig 
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