I've blogged before about Christian discipleship, or "transformation" or "spiritual formation", or whatever term you like to use to talk about our growth in the Christian faith. It's an important subject and one that has had many books written about it; in the past and in the present.
I mentioned some while ago about what I call the three dimensions of spiritual growth - the inward, the upward and the outward. The inward dimension is learning more about God, the upward dimension is expressing our worship to God and the outward dimension is serving others for God.
There's an old hymn I like, one that has all but disappeared in recent times, We have not known Thee as we ought. This morning I was musing on the words and realised the author was talking about my three dimensions of growth. He writes about knowing, serving and loving God, which tie up with the inward, upward and outward.
And the point of this spiritual growth? As he says in the last verse, to prepare us to meet Jesus face to face one day!
This is the hymn:
We have not known Thee as we ought,
Nor learned Thy wisdom, grace, and power:
The things of earth have filled our thought,
And trifles of the passing hour:
Lord, give us light Thy truth to see,
And make us wise in knowing Thee.
We have not loved Thee as we ought,
Nor cared that we are loved by Thee:
Thy presence we have coldly sought,
And feebly longed Thy face to see:
Lord, give a pure and loving heart
To feel and know the love Thou art.
We have not served Thee as we ought;
Alas! the duties left undone,
The work with little fervour wrought,
The battles lost, or scarcely won!
Lord, give the zeal, and give the might,
For Thee to toil, for Thee to fight.
When shall we know Thee as we ought,
When shall we love and serve aright ?
When shall we, out of trial brought,
Be perfect in the land of light?
Lord, may we day by day prepare
To see Thy face, and serve Thee there.
T. B. Pollock, 1836-96.
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