This postRemember the story of the rich young man from the New Testament?
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
He saith unto him, Which?
Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19:16-22)
That’s the question I want burning in my soul like a candle that won’t go out. What lack I yet? If I’m taking Christ seriously — “Be ye therefore perfect” — then climbing ever higher up the mountain of the Lord has to be constantly on my mind.
This isn’t an inferiority complex, by the way — it’s just how you become a master at something. You do, then you observe and evaluate, and then you do again. And so on. Becoming a disciple of Christ is a lot like becoming a great writer or musician or businessperson or lawyer or anything else, really. Always be on the lookout for ways to improve.
I’ve got a long list of what I still lack, but asking the question this time round seems to have pushed a couple items to the forefront. And you know, when I think about these things, I don’t feel discouraged, like I’m a failure — instead I’m excited at the opportunity to get it right, to climb a little higher and be a little better. It’s exhilarating. It’s the journey of a lifetime.
