Toxins Hindering Spiritual Growth

by Rev. Jeremiah Cheung

Toxins are anything that can make us sick or cause death. When we become believers in the Lord, our bodies now become the temple of God, and we are to take good care of it so that we can serve God. Yet we often overlook our spiritual health.

Today, I want to study with you the toxins that affect our spiritual life. In the church, there are many toxins that can affect our spiritual life, one of which is having the wrong priorities. We make the most important things secondary, while regarding the secondary things as the most important. Because of this mis-prioritization, we do not make meaningful progress in our spiritual lives.

Let us re-examine the priorities in our spiritual life:

1. “Be with” more than Service

Too many people rush to serve in the church without taking the time to first Be With the Lord through daily prayer and bible reading.

If we do not take the time to be with the Lord, our service will have no power. We must draw near to God before we can serve God well.

2. Motives more than Actions

We must constantly guard our hearts, for all our actions flow from it. (Prov 4:23).

As we make decisions, take action, and serve in the church, we must always examine our own motives. Why are we serving? Why do we do what we do, say what we say? God does look at the man but the motives of the man.

3. Living out the Truth more than Listening to It

It is so much easier to listen to the Word, and much harder to live out the Word, and yet it is more important for us to live the Word. It matters little if we’ve listened to the Word but that knowledge has not led to a life change.

4. Truth more than Feelings

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path (Psalm 119:105)

If we neglect our daily prayer and bible reading, we will lose our way. We must walk in the will of the Lord, in accordance with God’s truth.

Let’s not walk according to our feelings, because the things and situations that make us feel good are not automatically good for us. We must look to the Truth to determine our way.

5. Honesty comes before Growth

If we want to grow, we must first be honest. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.

Only someone who sees himself honestly will realize his own lack, his own deficiencies. A man needs to first acknowledge his own lack to become humble and work to improve himself.