Onward & Upward

     The old hymn says, "I'm pressing on the upward way.  New heights I'm gaining everyday.  Still praying as I’m onward bound, Lord plant my feet on higher ground.  Lord, lift me up and let me stand, By faith on Heaven’s tableland.  A higher plane than I have found, Lord plant my feet on higher ground."
     Our church theme for 2011 is "Onward & Upward".  In a day where people seem more lethargic spiritually than ever, I want to be striving to be more for God.
  I don't want to rely on what I have done or what I used to do for God.   I don't want to go backwards but forward.  The truth of the matter is that if we are not going forward, then we are going backwards.  If we are not getting closer to God, then we are getting further away from God.  We must burn it into our hearts & minds that there is no middle ground.  It does not exist.  It is like the light switches in your house.  There is no such thing as kind of "on" or kind of "off".  They are either "on" or "off".  That is it!  There is no other option!
     Onward & Upward is about a spirit of expectation.  I expect God to do great & mighty things in my life and in the life of the local church.  It is not that we have authority over God and tell Him what to do.  But, the truth of the matter is that God wants to bless His people.  I don't want to get to the place where I don't look forward to seeing God do great things.  God can do the impossible on any given day in the life of someone who is willing to believe Him for it.  God can show himself strong in any given church service if we will draw near & trust Him.  I don't want to be that one that has no expectation.
     Onward & Upward is about a spirit of exception.  By this I mean, that if we will draw closer to the Lord, there will be something different about us.  We will be the exception to the norm.  We will be the exception in the family, in the neighborhood, and in the workplace.  A church that strives to draw closer to God will be the exception in their community.  It won't be a congregation that closely resembles the world around it.  But, a group of Christians that are "conformed into the image of His Son".
     Onward & Upward is about a spirit of excellence.  Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might..."  If you want to hear "well done", then you better have done well.  Anything that is worth doing, is worth doing well.  This applies in every area of our lives.  Especially that which bares the name of Christ.  Our Christian life should be marked by excellence.  We should strive not particularly to be the best, but strive to do the best.  To say that you will always be the best is foolish.  But we can always try to do the best.  Our best may not be someone else's best.  But our best should be our absolute best.  You will never be ashamed before the Lord for doing something with "thy might".
     May the Lord help us all to go Onward & Upward.