Spiritual disciplines

The saying goes that money cannot buy happiness. Some retort that it may not, but it can put you in places that are closer to it. I agree with the first thought and not the second; happiness isn’t generated by places or stuff outside of me.

A parallel thought is the practice of spiritual disciplines. These are activities like prayer, Bible study, celebration, worship, etc. Spiritual disciplines do not earn God’s grace, because grace is not something generated by anything that I do, but practicing spiritual disciplines puts me in places where I am more apt to find God’s blessing.

Grace is something like the view outside my window. I cannot see it unless I go there. The memory of it doesn’t do it. Grace is also like a gift. I cannot enjoy it unless I unwrap it.

I’ve been feeling discouraged and depressed for a few weeks. This morning I read 1 Timothy 6:11-12 and know that even though Paul wrote this to a man, the words also apply to Christian women, me included.

It says, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

The “these things” Timothy is supposed to flee have to do with the love of money and greed, yet fleeing them and any other selfish pursuits is not enough. The person of God is to fill the void with good things. They will not fall into the vacancy left by sin all by themselves, but must be pursued and fought for, even though they are gifts from God that I cannot earn or deserve.

How does that work? If God gives me the righteousness of Christ, godliness, and the fruit of the Spirit which includes faith, love patience and gentleness, why to I have to pursue it? If God gives me eternal life, why do I have to lay hold of it?

More metaphors. Grace is like marriage; if we take it for granted, it slides into routine, then loses its vitality. Grace is like a garden; unless it is tended, weeds soon take over. Grace is like a wonderful meal; I need to sit down at it and participate. Merely looking at it doesn’t do it.

The second law of thermodynamics applies to almost everything. While eternal life never goes away, and grace is always there for me, life shows me that my experience and enjoyment of any of God’s gifts will deteriorate unless I pursue and fight for them.

This helps me understand the difference between Christians who age gracefully and those who become sour. The former are fighters while the latter give in to the stress and fatigue of the battle. I don’t want to do that, but the temptation is often there.

So also are the results. If I give up on the pursuit even just a little, the vitality of my union with Jesus Christ becomes routine and stale. I find myself pulling weeds instead of picking flowers. Without actively pursuing spiritual disciplines, I find myself longing for the delights that I know that God provides for those who seek His face.

My verse for this year is Psalm 27:8, “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, LORD, I will seek.’” Now I understand why this verse is so important for me this year, and for the rest of my days.