Milestones

As a follower of Jesus, I have come to appreciate the concept of "milestones". Dictionary.com defines a milestone as:

1) a stone functioning as a mile-marker
2) a significant event or stage in the life, progress, or development, or the like of a person, nation, etc.

As I was doing my quiet time this morning and reading verses of Scripture such as Philippians 1:6 and Philippians 3:12-14 I was reminded of just how important milestones are in the spiritual developmental processes. You see, like Paul, I'm certainly not perfect yet, but in Christ and by His blood I am on my way. And though I struggle daily with sin and temptation, it's always a healthy exercise for me to stop every so often and reflect on whether or not I've passed any spiritual milestones recently. I do this for the purpose of tending to my own soul and making sure that I'm taking my own walk with Christ most seriously in my ministry. In doing so, I've learned a few things about spiritual milestones.

Spiritual milestones come in all different shapes and sizes. Some spiritual milestones can come and go so quickly that you didn't even notice them when they passed (a random act of kindness, a decision to not participate in a certain conversation, a silent victory over temptation, or the development of a new habit that is slowly improving your outlook). And yet some spiritual milestones are so immensely big that you couldn't miss them even if you tried to (righting a wrong, choosing to deny yourself out of obedience when it doesn't feel natural to do so, the practice of genuinely loving your enemy, or simply choosing Christ for the first time). I've also learned that spiritual milestones are sometimes public events in the way that God can call you to set an example or take a stand...and I've learned that spiritual milestones are sometimes private as God beckons us to simply be behind closed doors what we claim to be in the public arena. Yet the most important thing that I've learned about spiritual milestones is that, regardless of their size, and regardless of their notoriety, they are meant to be celebrated for what they are...undeniable proof that God is working in our lives.

What milestones have you passed lately? It is my prayer that you and I would begin to see everyone of our milestones as bringing us one step closer to our finished product, one step closer to truly resembling Jesus, Himself.

Grace and Peace

ps - my son, Blues, had a milestone of a different sort this weekend...he, for the first time ever, jumped off of the diving board and swam to the ladder without the help of a floatation device. WAY TO GO, BLUES!!!