Not everyone is a pastor, but . . .

The two letters in the New Testament that were written to Timothy are filled with instruction that applies to this young pastor. They have value for today’s pastors, and even for ordinary people like me. The instruction is based on principles, many of them timeless. I am not a pastor but will not skip these two books.

For example, in the NT Greek, the word ‘practice’ means the same as it does in English, only in the following context, there is an addition; immerse yourself in it! Practice is learning by repetition; here it is strenuous repetition dedicated to making progress . . .

“Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:15–16)

Piano students know about practice. Without it, they do not progress in their ability to play. Quilters know this too. If I don’t practice, that longarm machine will always be smarter than I am. Tozer says this applies the Christian life, particularly the necessity of self-discipline and genuine commitment to Christ. I’m not to be careless in the way I live. I’m not to let Christian freedom, the blessings of life, and God’s goodness result in not bothering to pay attention to how I think, talk and behave.

Part of practice includes care of the details. No artist can do well without taking care of his instruments, such as tight strings on his violin or clean brushes along with tightened lids on her paints. Those ‘little’ things matter. I don’t play a violin but have painted. I know what will ruin my brushes and tubes. I also use sewing machines and items in the kitchen that will fail if I’m not ‘disciplined’ to care for them.

God is just as concerned with all details in my life. He wants me to be in tune with the Holy Spirit so I can live in harmony with His plans. However, being in tune requires paying attention, listening for His voice, caring that my life is in harmony with God. Otherwise, not only will I fail to hear and understand His voice but I will not bother with obedience.

It is said that practice makes perfect. This applies to music, art and quilting stitches yet even in those activities, I need the Holy Spirit to help me. For instance, one section of a quilt sat undone because I didn’t know what to do with it. After days of procrastination, I asked the Lord to help me, turned on the machine and as soon as the needle went down, He gave me ideas that made the task easy. I was surprised and delighted.

In this and in many other activities, the Holy Spirit comes through for me whether I practice or not. Practice is important but no more so than having an attitude of trusting the Lord. I could practice all day long but without the Holy Spirit nothing will work out in my quilting stitches or in my spiritual life.

^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, there is a balance. You don’t want me to sluff off discipline as if my responsibilities are not important, yet at the same time You don’t want me to assume everything depends on me and how much I develop any skills that You gave me. You are God yet lived here on earth as a man — in total dependence upon the Father and the Spirit. I need to be more like You!

Obedient? Or hiding?

1 Samuel 10:1–11:15, James 2:14–18, Psalm 119:65–80

Yesterday I read about a respected pastor who fell into sin and had to resign from his church. Such news hurts my heart and makes me wonder what happened. He started well, but did not end well. Yet this is not a total shock because this does happen in the kingdom of God. It shows the frailty of humanity and the power of sin.

From the beginning with Noah who started well and ended poorly, and on into the present day, God’s people have discovered the hard way that diligence is a rare commodity. Saul, Israel’s first king, started well. The prophet Samuel said to him, “The Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.” (1 Samuel 10:6)

This happened, for when Saul turned his back to leave Samuel, God “gave him another heart” (10:9), but his new heart was ignored soon after that while Samuel prepared to make a public announcement of the new king . . .  

“He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot; and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. So they inquired again of the Lord, ‘Is there a man still to come?’ and the Lord said, ‘Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.’ Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.” (1 Samuel 10:21–23)

Saul’s appearance wasn’t enough to give him the courage needed to face his responsibilities. He may have been tall (and previous verses said he was very handsome), but that wasn’t enough. He also had been given a new heart, which is rarely mentioned as a quality of OT believers, but even that did not prevent him from giving in to a cowardly streak. It happened to this man and it happens to Christians in the NT and also today.

In the NT, James exhorts believers to affirm and display their faith with action. Claiming faith is one thing, but doing something that proves it is a different and more difficult challenge. The Bible is clear; I cannot SAY Jesus is Lord except by the power of the Holy Spirit. It also says that I cannot DO anything apart from Christ; I must abide in Him and rely on Him for, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14–17)

How then can a person, particularly a person that God has saved and transformed, fall? A better question might ask how can a believer be consistently obedient? How can I conquer the power of sin that grips my old nature and threatens to overpower me every day?

The psalmist knew the answer: “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes . . . . I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” (Psalm 119:71, 75)

It is by affliction that we are broken — and in the kindness and mercy of God, we are afflicted. Oh, we don’t like it or want it. Many Christians seem to think we are not to accept affliction, as if God owes us heaven on earth. One sore toe and we pray for healing. Any trial or tribulation and we pray for its removal. How difficult to learn the lesson that suffering is a sign of God’s faithfulness.

I know this. I’m not happy about the reality of it, yet it does test my priorities. Do I want to be comfortable in this life? Or do I want to start well and finish well? I like the choice made by the psalmist . . . “May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!” (Psalm 119:80)

I can say the words . . . but must be diligent for I am also capable of running and hiding among the baggage.

Motivated to pray

Over the years, God has granted some of my most outrageous and specific requests. Knowing what I know about myself and prayer, I’m convinced those were not my ideas; the Lord put those requests on my heart. In doing so, He teaches me that He cares about every detail and nothing is too hard for Him, so keep praying.

In the Bible, Hannah is a good example of diligence in prayer. She was barren, deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord with bitter tears and a vow that if He gave her a son, she would give him back to serve the Lord all of his life. (1 Samuel 1:10–11)

As she prayed in the temple, the priest saw her lips moving and thought she was drunk, but she protested and told him her story. He replied, “Go in peace and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and was no longer sad. She had assurance from God through the priest that her prayer was answered. (1 Samuel 1:15–18)

It was answered. Later, Hannah conceived and bore Samuel. She weaned him and kept her promise as the Lord had kept His. As long as Samuel lived, he served the Lord. (1 Samuel 1:20–28)

The point of today’s devotional reading is not about outrageous prayer so much as it encourages diligence. Hannah was diligent in prayer. For that, I’m to be diligent in guarding my heart for out of it will flow the issues of life, even my prayer requests (Proverbs 4:23).

The Bible applauds diligence, even says those who are diligent will be in positions of leadership (Proverbs 12:24). It also describes how diligence works; it means avoiding distractions, sticking to sound principles, and working hard . . .

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. (2 Timothy 2:3–6)

It also means keeping my life clean and staying close to the Lord: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8) This is part of how to guard my heart; persist in keeping short accounts with God.

Yet the bottom line is not my ability for personal persistence. This comes and goes. God also encourages me by answering prayer, but that is still not the main reason to keep on praying, even to ask the most outlandish things if that is what He puts on my heart. The bottom line is that if God puts a prayer request or need to pray into my mind and heart, it would be a sin against Him to ignore it and not pray!

During Israel’s early history, that child that Hannah gave to the Lord was in a place of priestly leadership. (Did his mother’s diligence in prayer pass on to him?). The people asked God for a king, and he told them this was a sin because they were to rely on the Lord’s leadership, not a king. They said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.”

Samuel told them not to fear. They had sinned, but must still follow the Lord and serve Him with all their hearts. He warned them, “not to turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.”

Then he said this most remarkable thing about himself and his responsibility to pray . . .

Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king. (1 Samuel 12:19–25)

Putting all this together, I hear the Lord saying to pray what He puts on my heart, even if it seems outrageous, to be diligent and not give up as long as I’m certain these requests are His idea. If I make promises, keep them. If those on my prayer list need instruction, give it. If I need encouragement, remember what God has already done. Most importantly, do not be distracted or allow anything to keep me from praying — for to do so would be sin against Him.

Plugged in

I don’t know what is more amazing, how much energy I had yesterday or how much my joints hurt this morning! One thing is certain; the more I prayed committing the work I was doing to the Lord, the more He filled me with enthusiasm for what I was doing, even going up and down the ladder to edge in along the ceiling (I’m challenged by heights, even low ones) or painting inside a small, very warm bathroom with a lot of edges that could not be taped.

My verses are the same again today as yesterday, only this time with an emphasis on a different phrase, “continuing steadfastly in prayer.”

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. (Romans 12:10-13)

Prayer is the connection to God and God is my resource. Apart from Him, even those human qualities of kindly affection and brotherly love will come and go. Apart from Him, I know I will be inconsistent in giving preference to others, particularly when there is nothing in it for me. He is my diligence and enthusiasm, my joy and hope, and certainly my source of patience. Without Him I can do nothing. However, to stay connected and have those inner resources, I must pray.

Prayer can be a natural as breathing, but sometimes it is hard work. I’m easily distracted and today, I might easily fall asleep. Other days my to-do list is so long that it takes much determination to first pray. If I have a period where it seems there are no answers, I feel like giving up.

My attitude toward God is also important. I need the qualities in these verses toward Him as well as toward other Christians. I cannot pray as easily if my heart lacks affection for the One to whom I pray. Love and gratitude make prayer easier.

He must also come first in my life because my prayers become filled with gimme, gimme when I do not give preference to Him in praise and yielding to His will. Diligence, fervency of spirit, hope and patience have a great deal to do with how I am relating to Him. If my heart is humble and trusting, these things just happen. If not, they fly out the window.

Despite wanting a long soak in Epsom salt water, my first priority this morning is prayer. After I’m finished, I’ll no doubt pray again in the tub and throughout the day because I want to continue steadfastly in prayer. More than that, I want to, and need to, stay connected.

Get with it; it will be worth it

More and more, the yards in our neighborhood are looking neglected. Dozens of reasons come to mind, from family illness to plain laziness, but one thing is certain: weeds flourish when the gardener does not show up.

The same has been said of evil. It too will flourish when good people do nothing. Yet as much as the mess our world is in (perhaps reflected in unkept gardens), I can think of dozens of reasons why I am not showing up. I argue everything from I’m poorly equipped to I am too old. I could say that God hasn’t given me any direct orders, or that I don’t know where to start.

Sometimes God shakes me to wake me up. Sometimes He offers gentle nudges. Sometimes He is very understanding. This morning He directed me to these verses:

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

“I (Jesus) must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)

I could live another twenty-five years, but there is no guarantee of that, nor do I know what my health will be like. Instead of fretting about the future though, God wants me to concentrate on the present and enthusiastically do whatever He puts in front of me. I can busy up my to-do list with my own stuff or I can listen to His voice and quit making excuses.

Today He is encouraging me. I need to listen. Today He gently reminds me that when I die, all opportunities to serve Him here on earth are over. I need to listen and obey. His promise of a reward for being obedient and serving Him with enthusiasm was also in my reading today:

For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Hebrews 6:10)

Get at it, keep at it!

My studio is filled to the brim, literally. One end has three stuffed bookcases, a cupboard full of paper supplies, a desk, hutch and filing dolly with family tree information, and a sewing cabinet for my serger.

The middle overflows with a huge computer desk (covered in file trays, two printers etc.) and a tall wall cabinet full of art supplies, books, paper and canvases. The other end (more like half) has four rolling storage with quilts in various stages of completion, two more tall cupboards and one shorter one full of sewing supplies, a quilter’s ironing board, two large tables with sewing machines on them, a bookshelf with boxes of more quilts in various stages of being finished, and a design wall.

Yesterday I tackled the bookcase end and got rid of a stack of stuff. Besides that, I hit my kitchen cookbook shelf, went through a pile of clipped recipes, etc. and put most of it in the paper recycle bin, saving only what I think I might live long enough to use.

Today I need to sort, toss and tidy some more of my studio, but my mood for paring down this space is beginning to fade. I’d much rather finish one of those quilts than try to decide what stays and what goes. Distractions abound.

However, before I settle to read the Bible and my devotional guide, I always ask God to give me what I need for each day. This morning, as every morning, He heard me. This is what He tossed back: “The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but diligence is man’s precious possession” (Proverbs 12:27)

Oh, my. While the devotional reading put a lofty spiritual turn to this, I see it in a practical light. God is telling me that this stuff has been hunted and collected but not used, partly because I am lazy or I procrastinate or I acquired it with good intentions but never followed through. Whatever the reason, not using all this stuff puts a weight on me. Just having it intrudes into my mind and fights for my attention. I’m not easily able to concentrate on the most important things. Simply put, all this stuff distracts me from clearly knowing what the Lord wants me to do next.

I can easily read it this way: “The lazy woman does not use all the stuff she collects, but instead of valuing all that stuff that is just sitting there, she should consider diligence her most precious possession and either get at using what she has, or give it to someone else and be more organized so her life can be more effective.”

This is a short post. I have lots to do today!