Don't tell me what I want to hear, tell me what I need to hear...by Tony C

Through several years of blogging, I've written about a number of  people who have had an impact on my spiritual life in a big way. From learning an example of humility from my pastor as a teenager to seeing the light of God's love through my long-distance friend David Johndrow, I've been blessed with a number of people in my life that have helped me be a better man for the Lord.

This week, each one of the Kingdom Bloggers will share a person from our lives that has played a significant role in our spiritual walk.

Actually, I'm going to share with you someone that plays a significant role for me today. A huge mistake we often make as Christians is holding to the fallacy that our spiritual maturation actually has a ceiling. Ridiculous sounding, but too often a common sentiment that leads to our church elders bowing from an active role in ministry at some point.

Let me clarify the reality of this situation. We never reach a stopping point of growing as disciples for God...no matter how old we are or how much Bible we know. There is no maxed-out for Jesus this side of Glory, so get over yourself if you think you are actually there now.

I say that in the kindest, most gentle way possible...

I'm fortunate to have a someone currently in my life that keeps me both grounded from any delusions of grandeur while pushing me to continue to grow and learn while serving the Kingdom. We talk or text on a daily basis about any number of issues or subject matters. We often dialogue through email on doctrinal or theological muses that I would akin to something like thinking out loud.

One of the best attributes of our friendship is being able to agree to disagree on some of those non-essentials subject matters of our faith that are fun to discuss and debate but may be beyond a definitive definition in our current finite and limited state of being. I absolutely love those discussions because I'm always lead to a deeper study of God's word in search of defending my given (and mostly undefendable) positions.

He is a deacon where I attend church, and he takes the role with utmost urgency. Many people would look at him and try to characterize him in the light of his professional position. That would be easy to do because he is a Vice-President at a Fortune 500 company. However, I have never heard him try to define who he is in that light. He genuinely conveys an air of appreciation for how God has blessed him.

I'm very confident in stating if you met my friend Keith and didn't know any of the things I've told you to this point, you would quickly recognize he is a man of impeccable character and strong convictions. Both intelligent and confident with the greatest quality of humility. A godly husband to an equally godly wife.

He is a man that not only truly believes what he professes to believe...he can also eloquently explain to you why. That...to me...is the best of the many reasons I've given on how blessed I am to call him my friend and brother in Christ.