Fast 40: Practicing the Ancient Spiritual Discipline of Lentਨਮੂਨਾ

There is really no difference between my religious beliefs and those of the prosperity preachers. We both believe in success. The only (slight) distinction is that I believe Christian success looks like Christ and Him crucified, rather than Mammon and its multiplication.

I am one of those intolerable men who believe God’s chief desire is to transfigure us into the image of His Son rather than transfer wealth into the bank account of our choosing. I believe Christian success is marked by cost, not profit. It is marked by military victory, not peaceful slavery.

I happen to think the successful Christian is the faithful Christian—one who may get knocked down but refuses to be knocked out. The successful Christian is the sacrificial Christian—one who knows there is a fight to be won and lays down his life to win it. The successful Christian is the Spirit-filled Christian—one who does not rely on his own strength but on the invincible armor and power of the Holy Spirit.

In my mind, that is the Christian who will be "found still on his feet when all the task is over."