Matthew 20:17 (ESV) And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,

Jesus took His disciples to a private place to share information with them that served a purpose. It is obvious to us now because all this has been revealed in His Word. At the time that Jesus set them aside it served a personal purpose that was meant for just those disciples for that specific time.

I do not deny that we all love to share what the Lord has said to us. He does so with purpose. In my past I have been zealous to share and my words fell on deaf ears. I had not seen the purpose behind that which was revealed to me. Wisdom not only comes with age, it also comes by making mistakes. Those mistakes were made because I had not found my purpose in kingdom living.

Hebrews 5:14 (ESV) But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Serving God’s purpose is good. Serving self-interests is wrong.

Have you discovered your purpose in Christ? I am not talking about your purpose in life. I am talking kingdom living which is not the same. I once thought my purpose in life was my job and then I had children. Then I thought my purpose in life was being a father. Then I was saved and I thought my purpose in life was to learn everything I could about God.

If you see the trend towards believing what you think, I have made my point. People change and what people see as important changes. Part of that is maturity and part of it is circumstance. We do not all mature at the same rate. We do not all have the same circumstances.

Finding your purpose in Christ provides stability that living in the world cannot provide.

James 1:3-5 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

³ knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. ⁴ But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. ⁵ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Yesterday I spoke of a need for detachment in witnessing. Here in these verses it is expressed with these words, wanting nothing. Impatience is a desire of the flesh and if you are walking in the Spirit, the walk is sufficient unto itself. We have done all that is asked of us and the rest is up to God. This may well be why James followed up with the call to prayer for wisdom.

Lord what shall I do now? Amen

Micah 6:8 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

What does walking humbly with God look like? If we run ahead, does that look humble? If we drag our feet does that look humble? If we gaze of at our surroundings with a wandering eye does that look humble? Does fixing our eyes and ears upon the object of our affection look humble? It will if the Lord is our object of affection.

It is not that we have not seen what is good, just and right, it is a matter of doing what we are asked in the manner we were shown.