When you were in school, did your teachers encourage you to ask questions? They knew that was the process by which you learned. This is still true, and you should cultivate curiosity and inquisitiveness as lifelong habits. How does this relate to your faith? Are you presented a set of doctrines as a settled matter and discouraged from pondering the same questions yourself? My word teaches you to follow me. This involves obedience to me but it also involves the pursuit of understanding. This only occurs as you are willing to consider unresolved questions. Be patient and don’t expect the answers to come as quickly as they did when you were a child in school. 

My word gives very clear teaching that you are to care for the poor. If they need money and you give money to organizations chartered to help them, does that allow you to fulfill this commandment without coming into direct contact with the poor? I do not pose this question to condemn you. Giving money is more than lip service. It is putting your money where your mouth is. Organizations can help you to be as wise as serpents to make your giving effective and avoid being taken advantage of. Just don’t allow this to be a substitute for direct personal contact with those in need. 

Have you ever heard Christians voice a longing to have lived when I lived, and walked with me then? My word gives the account of those who followed me during my time on earth, and records my words to them, that it was better that I go away. How could this be better? I told them that I would send the Comforter to them, and I did. They were with me when I was here, and this was good, but I told them that it was better still to have the presence of the Spirit of Truth living in them. Do you understand that this applies to you as well? Remind yourself of this whenever you wish to live and walk with me, because you do. 

Do you behave differently when other people are watching than when you are alone? Most people will admit to doing better when they are observed. You know that I am always watching, but the presence of other people still makes a difference. Do you know that I am not the only one who sees everything? For I declared that you are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. You may think of them as spectators as you run your race. They have already run theirs, and now they are in the stands cheering you on. I spoke of a time when every man’s work would be manifested and tried. This process is already in progress.