No one will walk toward and with God frivolously. From experience, it seems that to step into the kingdom zone requires that we be intentionally devoted. It isn't enough that we were attentive yesterday to His wonder. We must be so as well today else we will lose our vision for this Most Current God.
Society, and even the church part of it, has such a tendency to go through life with God thoughtlessly. Give us a main doctrine or our place to serve and we are off and running. Yet, there is more to God. He is fascinating to behold, dynamic to follow, and outrageous to love. We must be on our toes in both insight and flexibility or we will be found shifting to idols of man's religious whim.
We are called to develop the mind of Christ. It becomes a challenge for us, being human, to wade through the spirit/flesh combinational complexities. Is it one or the other? Or, could it be both? After all, we in the flesh are being asked by God to accept things of the Spirit.
Thus, we must be on our toes; meaning we must never let our guard down regarding learning, obeying, and following.
William Temple makes a simple, yet deep, observation. The spiritually minded person does not differ from the materially minded person chiefly in thinking about different things, but in thinking about the same things differently. It is possible to think materially about God, and spiritually about food.
One can think materially about God and spiritually about food? This alters the religion of many. Maybe us as well. Therefore, we must be on our toes. Otherwise, we will make idols out of our beliefs and practices while missing the call of the Lord of all.
Add to this thought Kenneth E. Bailey's observation that Jesus had more to say about money than he did about prayer. Money is for the believer to use wisely (stay on our toes) just as prayer has warnings of abusiveness if expressed self-centeredly (stay on our toes).
Matter is good; but can be used as evil. Spiritual is good; but can be used as life-robbing law. We see the righteousness of both in the simplicity of spirit coming to earthling-habitation....in Jesus. As we are on our toes, may our walk duplicate the true nature of the One who was both.
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