Walk in the life God gives…

 Today’s reading begins with an exhortation to give up all efforts to grow and simply let yourself grow. Leave it all to Jesus whose care it is, and who alone is able to manage it. Put yourself into His hands and let Him have His own way with you.

While this is true — that Jesus does the work, resting in Him does not eliminate spiritual disciplines, at least those rightly motivated. This devotional writer is not telling me to give up reading Scripture, worship, fellowship with other Christians, prayer, and so on. This exhortation is about self-effort and that frantic or pride-filled idea that I ‘must’ do this or that so I will grow.

Spiritual disciplines do not make me grow. I’ve sometimes called them places of grace. They are like getting in the shower if I need to clean up, not standing outside of it trying to take the dirt with my own hands. They are not self-effort with psychological gimmicks to get rid of guilt or reading how-to books to be well-liked. Instead, these disciplines are being where I need to be so God can do His work of changing my life.

Some of these involve actual places, such as going to church and being with like-minded believers, but most of them involve action or lack of action, such as Bible study, prayer, confession, and silence, fasting, and sacrifice. These are not motivated by ‘doing my duty’ but by wanting to love God and be closer to Him. As I do that, I know Him more as He is — and myself more as I am. This leads to conviction and confession, but also forgiveness and cleansing.

Even the OT, with its focus on God’s laws, has God’s gracious promises to His people when we have stoped growing. He says:

I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. (Hosea 14:4–7)

Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. “The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. (Joel 2:22–25)

I cannot ‘earn’ these benefits but I can block them by running away from God and by refusing to unwrap the gifts that He gives me in my new life as His child. In that life is rest and growth without effort, yet crowned with glorious results.

PRAY: Choosing spiritual disciplines sounds like giving up ‘fun’ but that is not true. Jesus, being with You and motivated by the things You put in my heart to think, say, and do gives me an abundant life, a life of rest and trust, but also of surprise and adventure. I am humbled by things like pink tulips and well-timed phone calls, but those are only two examples of the many blessings You give. You are an incredible Shepherd and manager of my soul and the giver of peace and deep joy. You have changed my idea of what that word ‘discipline’ really means!

To-do list for old timers (and newcomers too)

Bette Midler once said regarding her body, “After fifty, it’s just maintenance, maintenance, maintenance.” Those in that age bracket will agree. However, I try not to focus on the state of my body since this is too easy the topic of conversation for us seniors. It tends to fill my head with a ‘me’ focus that is not healthy for my spiritual life.

At the end of 2 Peter, this disciple writes about focus as God’s people wait for the end of life and the return of Jesus Christ. He puts the focus on my spiritual state and gives me some practical assignments . . .

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him . . . You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ . . . . (2 Peter 3:14–18)

Be found by Him without spot or blemish. This isn’t about freckles or pimples but about sin. No one is sinless in this life, but keeping short accounts is possible. That is, God wants me to confess and forsake any sinful and selfish attitudes and actions as soon as I realize they are present. The benefits include continual fellowship with God and His people, having a child-like humility and attitude toward life, and a good night’s sleep!

Be at peace. No worrying. How is that even possible? For me, it means trusting the Lord with everything, and to do that, I must believe in His love and power. He is sovereign over this world and all that is in it. If not, I’d be in a stew about everything because nearly everything seems to be coming unraveled. Trusting the Lord means being able to take my burdens to Him and leave them in His care. I cannot do that without firmly believing He hears me and will answer my prayers. His answers may not be what I expect, but trust isn’t concerned about my thoughts and opinions, only about His loving wisdom.

Count patience as salvation. Peter also said that I’m to consider patience as a huge factor in salvation. Impatience is me trying to run things my way — and that is the essence of sin. Patience is evidence of faith, of knowing God is taking care of things and being okay with that. It is not an anxious ‘wait and see’ but a settled and peaceful yielding to His will.

Don’t get carried away. Spiritual maintenance includes standing firm on what I believe, not carried away by the teaching of those who have no regard for the basic principles of faith. The foundations of trust and obey, of knowing and believing, are the firm places. I don’t need to study error to know it — I only need to study truth.

Grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Last but not least I am to grow by studying Him, spending time with Him. Listening. Following His leading. Seeking His face. Reviewing and remembering His words. Doing whatever is necessary to deepen my relationship with this man who is God — who saved me for all eternity!

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Jesus, this is simple stuff for this old-timer, basic for those who are new to the faith, yet powerful. Doing the will of God is not as challenging as wanting to do the will of God. I must want to abandon the habits and old sinful ways and dictates of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Keep me close as I desire to stay close. I love You and want to bring You glory in this life and in the life to come!

Today’s thankful list . . .

- having basics to keep me growing and in God’s will.

- faith is practical!

- a good workout at the gym.

- motion detector light switches.

- time for a much-needed nap this afternoon.

- chicken tacos and salt-free chips.

Habits and Disciplines

I’m reading an interesting book called Atomic Habits. The author has discovered that persistence in small changes is like compound interest. This method makes curves on progress charts go from zero to success in a steeper curve than could be imagined.

I learned that riding an exercise bike. I put a few miles on it each day. Over three years, that turned into several thousand miles and a great improvement of stamina.

This book also says that focusing on a goal is often defeating; a person needs to focus on the process or the steps needed to reach goals. He also says the best way to do that is thinking about your identity, who you are in relation to the person you want to become. For instance, saying “I can run a marathon” works far better toward that goal than “I want to run a marathon.”

This is interesting to me because of the relationship to spiritual growth as described in the Bible and by my experience. The goal is to be a godly person; God says I already am a godly person. I just need to learn how to act like it. The process is spiritual disciplines fueled and blessed by the grace of God.

The goal is to be like Jesus; the identity is that Jesus already lives in me. I’ve compared this to a soldier. When enlisting, that person is a soldier, yet it takes bootcamp and training to learn how to act like one.

This morning’s passage of Scripture is about a goal: to live in the Spirit and not in the flesh . . .

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:16–24)

How does it happen? A new Christian is called a “new creation” in 2 Corinthians 5:17, but it isn’t long before that old fleshy nature tries to spoil that by pulling us back into old habits. I learned the hard way that the process is like baby steps, tiny moves in the direction God calls me. Also, I need to avoid those slippery slope steps toward gratifying the desires of the flesh. Again, I am declared righteous in Christ; I must learn how to be what I am.

Reading the passage struck me with the contrast of its two descriptions. It seems that the flesh would be easy to recognize by the extreme bad behavior listed as examples. However, sin is more subtle. Jesus said sexual immorality includes looking at someone with lust in your heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Impurity can be mixed motives for doing good, such as pleasing God but also impressing others. Sensuality is usually about sexual misconduct, but it can include excessive indulgence involving pleasure of other kinds.

The list goes on, covering the extremes that Corinthian Christians fought against, yet are not obsolete. We still need to deny the sins of the flesh that lurk in our hearts, such as envy and division. God wants my life to be controlled by His Spirit, not my flesh. Doing this is about habit-forming, but the big difference between that book and the Bible is the power of the Holy Spirit at work instead of me needing to do this by myself, under my own steam and determination. As Jesus says, apart from Him, I can do nothing. God is not advocating self-effort for that is of the flesh also, even the very essence of sin.

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Wow, Lord! You have given me much to think about and act on. First, how much of my life and habits need change because they are not being motivated and fueled by You? Second, how many of my “systems” to reach goals are self-effort? And what can I rejoice in because I know You are at work? I’m glad for this list of spiritual fruit in Galatians for it is the best way to test who is running my life. If love, peace, joy, etc. are missing, then I have some confessing and repenting to do.

Today’s thankful list . . .

The guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Phone call from a friend not heard from for a long time!

The postal system.

Clear, helpful people at my bank.

A wacky quilt that just might turn out okay.

A bit of a dent in a pile of paper.

Never a dull moment!

Instant conversion does not equal instant maturity . . .

In prayer yesterday with a group of women, we used the term Saul/Paul conversion to describe our desire for unsaved family members. Saul was about as anti-Christ as a person could be, zealous to restrict and harm Christians, however when Jesus confronted him this man was instantly changed. Or was it instant?

The records indicate this encounter was sudden and dramatic with an enduring result yet every Christian knows that salvation brings with it the need for great psychological and intellectual readjustments. Paul was no different. He spent time in Arabia and Damascus before his first visit to Jerusalem. He said:

“But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only were hearing it said, ‘He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they glorified God because of me.” (Galatians 1:15–24)

The next verse says that “after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas . . . .” One commentary says Paul also went back to his home territory, and for a period of eight to ten years little is known of his activities. No doubt he was spending time with God — learning His will and how to walk in it.

Another verse comes to mind. When writing instructions to Timothy about appointing elders in the church, Paul said, “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:6)

How did he know this? He admitted that his early Christian life was filled with revelations from the Lord. This put him in danger of spiritual pride. God singled him out for a dramatic conversion and a major ministry. The human ego has a habit of puffing up with privileges which Paul probably realized during those unknown years.

Another issue that makes a long time of training necessary is that he was saved as an adult. While children have the same sinful nature, they have not had the time to practice fleshy living like an adult does. Saved as an adult means more thoughts and habits to untangle.

A major lesson in his life was the issue of a ‘thorn’ that is not defined but was related to both pride and weakness in his life. He describes it in 2 Corinthians . . .

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

Many Christians struggle with this valuable lesson. That sense of weakness is contrary to what we think we should feel like when filled with the power of God. Human experience relates power to confidence, boldness, an ability to take charge, yet I’ve had to learn this contrasts God’s ways. He used years of experience to show me how feeling strong before teaching a class was a sure sign the class would flop. Feeling weak, nervous, afraid and unable was a far better way to go into the classroom.

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15)

. . . This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. (Isaiah 66:2)

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Dear lord Jesus, a conversion like that of Saul/Paul takes but a moment and it clearly declares that nothing is too hard for God, yet the training of this man was not instant. Like everyone else, You worked in his heart to shape his thoughts and actions. That takes time. As we pray for others, we want a powerful conversion, but help us remember that discipleship and growing in grace is a process. I know from experience that the more stubborn sinners were in their former life, the longer that process takes in their new life! Thank You for Your patience.