"Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.--Philippians 2:29-30
That many Christians in our day are lukewarm and somnolent will not be denied by anyone with an anointed eye, but the cure is not to stir them up to a frenzy of activity. That would be but to take them out of one error and into another. What we need is a zealous hunger for God, an avid thirst after righteousness, a pain-filled longing to be Christlike and holy. We need a zeal that is loving, self-effacing and lowly. No other kind will do.
That pure love for God and men which expresses itself in a burning desire to advance God's glory and leads to poured-out devotion to the temporal and eternal welfare of our fellow men is certainly approved of God; but the nervous, squirrel-cage activity of self-centered and ambitious religious leaders is just as certainly offensive to Him and will prove at last to have been injurious to the souls of countless millions of human beings. The Size of the Soul, 81-82."
"Lord, give me that 'zealous hunger for God,' that 'avid thirst after righteousness,' that 'painfilled longing to be Christlike and holy.' I want to give myself in 'poured-out devotion' for Your glory. Use me as Your servant, for Jesus' sake, Amen."
I love and agree with Tozer's emphasis. Too often Christians confuse being busy or having activities as automatically bearing fruit or growing in holiness. That is not necessarily the case.
Luke 10:38-42 - Martha asked Jesus to rebuke Mary and make her get in the kitchen and help. Martha confused activity with what was needful. Jesus refused Martha and said Mary had chosen the better activity. There is a place for activity, but activity must never be the goal.
That many Christians in our day are lukewarm and somnolent will not be denied by anyone with an anointed eye, but the cure is not to stir them up to a frenzy of activity. That would be but to take them out of one error and into another. What we need is a zealous hunger for God, an avid thirst after righteousness, a pain-filled longing to be Christlike and holy. We need a zeal that is loving, self-effacing and lowly. No other kind will do.
That pure love for God and men which expresses itself in a burning desire to advance God's glory and leads to poured-out devotion to the temporal and eternal welfare of our fellow men is certainly approved of God; but the nervous, squirrel-cage activity of self-centered and ambitious religious leaders is just as certainly offensive to Him and will prove at last to have been injurious to the souls of countless millions of human beings. The Size of the Soul, 81-82."
"Lord, give me that 'zealous hunger for God,' that 'avid thirst after righteousness,' that 'painfilled longing to be Christlike and holy.' I want to give myself in 'poured-out devotion' for Your glory. Use me as Your servant, for Jesus' sake, Amen."
I love and agree with Tozer's emphasis. Too often Christians confuse being busy or having activities as automatically bearing fruit or growing in holiness. That is not necessarily the case.
Luke 10:38-42 - Martha asked Jesus to rebuke Mary and make her get in the kitchen and help. Martha confused activity with what was needful. Jesus refused Martha and said Mary had chosen the better activity. There is a place for activity, but activity must never be the goal.
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