Spiritual Pluck

5/20/2020

Luke 21:19 “In your patience possess ye your souls.”

Chambers writes that when we become born again, “We have to make an expression of the new life, to form the mind of Christ.” This expresses our new life in Jesus. Chambers also says that our moods are not something we should pray about, because they have their roots in the physical condition rather than the moral one. We need to be aware of our moods, and how they can affect our spiritual lives.

Reading this from Chambers today really gave me pause, as this is exactly what happens to me. Something temporal affects me, and then my mood transforms, and my spirit also changes. I can go from feeling strong to utter despair and weakness. My mood can turn for the better or worse, but it is rarely connected to my spiritual walk with God. If anything, my mood – especially when I am sad or stressed – puts me in a state of guilt, because if I was stronger in my faith I would not have these tumultuous emotions at all. It is certainly a vicious cycle.

It is true, though, that when I am walking closely with God and turning to Him about every area of my life, my mood steadies and I gain peace. I find the deeper my focus, the easier it is to shed the highs and lows of my terrestrial condition, and I realize the temporary nature of it all. Chambers says, “We have to take ourselves by the scruff of the neck and shake ourselves, and we will find that we can do what we said we cannot. The Christian life is one of incarnate spiritual pluck.”