God - Our True Goal

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are ..."

(Luke 18:10,11)

"I am not as other men are." That is how a man not guided of the Spirit and convicted of God prays. We are not to look at other men at all - especially wicked people. All men are minus quantities. A zero may feel proud that it is greater than a negative quantity. We should look at the standards and criterion of God. It is the evil nature in us that causes us to lift ourselves over others.

An airplane flies over rivers, mountains and crosses all natural barriers. It should not compare itself with a motor car and feel elated. A mountain should not look at a valley and rejoice. It should look at something higher. Are we looking at Christ? He said, Come unto Me. Follow me. Stay with Me. We are never asked to look at others. A train should not compare itself with a horse cart and be glad. The Christian spirit is always the spirit that emulates the highest.

We must despise our own evil nature, that drags us down into the valleys. One who is satisfied with himself is the hardest to move. He has an unconquerable inertia. It is very difficult to make a self-righteous man realize his faults. He prides in giving tithes. Some give their tithes correct to the penny. It is the least a man can give. Some children of God started with giving their one-tenth and finished with giving their nine-tenths.

Solomon built a beautiful temple and felt satisfied with his achievement. Immediately spiritual inertia started and he began to go back. Do not be satisfied with fasting twice a week. Think of the love you lack. Then you will feel your need is very great. A chicken in its shell thinks it lives in big world. It thinks it knows all and that is enough. Such is a Pharisee. There are immense possibilities for a man who looks at and whose goal is God.