The value of spiritual disciplines

 

Most Christians know what spiritual disciplines are: Bible reading and study, prayer, worship, fellowship, silence, and others. Some might suppose these make us more spiritual, but it is God that does that. The disciplines merely put us in places where we can experience His transforming power. On the other hand, if I do them all but refuse to obey, these disciplines have little value.

One detour to spiritual growth is thinking I cannot grow in less than perfect surroundings. However, that is often the situation for flourishing if I remain faithful to the disciplines and remember the truths God has taught me and still teaches, truth like:

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)

This is an important “place of grace’ in that it puts the flesh where it belongs and centers life in Christ, where it actually is — even if the world, the flesh, and the Liar keep telling me otherwise. Jesus is the source of my life and I need to remain in that thinking, abide in it. This means all my thoughts, words, and actions spring from His Spirit, not from anything else.

I’ve used the illustration of a cup. Upright it is filled, but if I sin, I ‘tip over’ and the Holy Spirit is no longer filling me because I’ve let in something else, either the ideas and love of the world, the desires of the flesh, or the lies of Satan.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

The flesh is given many descriptions. Some are at the lower end of our human sin scale:

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. (Galatians 5:19–21)

However others are not so blatant: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) This verse describes anything I do apart from the will of God. My own way might be ambitions that serve my ego, and other self-centered and selfish motivations.

The lies of the enemy are designed to knock out faith with suggestions like: “God does not want the best for you. God’s love should be making you comfortable. God does not control everything” and a host of thoughts contrary to Scripture and truth about Him. 

Again, spiritual disciplines offer a variety of reminders, clues, rebukes, and helpful reasons to keep my source on Jesus instead of getting knocked over or off track by spiritual enemies, including my own pride and foolishness. It keeps this “glove” on the “hand” that moves it, not stuck in some useless place without any power.

The most common knockout punch is disobedience. This enemy is rooted in lack of faith in the Lord and putting faith is something other than Him. It keeps sinners from salvation and Christians from living fruitful lives that prove our faith, ensure answered prayer, fill us with joy, and enable us to love one another:

If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:6–12)

PRAY: Jesus, I’m so thankful that You give me a love for Your Word and a desire to go to those “places of grace” that help me focus on You and on truth. They also rebuke my sinfulness and hold me accountable. The only ‘cure’ for disobedience is confession and Your forgiveness and cleansing — certainly not “trying harder” for I cannot save myself or fix my sin. You are truly my Savior, not even the disciplines and not my will. You love me and keep all Your promises to forgive, cleanse, and transform my life and will take me home to live with You forever.

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!

Abundant life beats robbing banks . . .

What would it mean If, when I became a Christian, I was a bank robber and knew that God did not want that, but refused to obey? Or what if I was always cursing? Or gossiping? Or entirely selfish about everything? Most people would mock my claim of faith or at least dismiss it as delusion.

This happens. The Bible says in Christ, all things are made new, but like an out-of-shape lazy person joining the army, he is instantly a soldier but it takes time and effort before he looks and acts like one. Bootcamp, training, and much noise from his sergeant are needed, plus a concerted personal determination to get into shape and change his attitude.

God knows what we are like. Some will be gung-ho about their new life, yet some Christians need constant reminders of what they have and how they are to respond. I tend to identify with the slackers more than the keeners. Yesterday’s verses reminded me that God’s “divine power has granted me all things that pertain to life and godliness” and I cannot ignore that and live as if I don’t have what I need to be like Jesus. For that reason, these next verses are also good reminders that God gave me all I need, so use it!

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. (2 Peter 1:5–12)

Peter is talking about spiritual disciplines. I call them ‘places of grace’ because the disciplines do not give me ‘all things’ but doing them puts me in places where God can work in my heart and life. He is restricted when I disobey Him, just like the maturity of a persistently bratty child is restricted. Disciplines like prayer, Bible study, worship and fellowship with other Christians put me in places where I can hear God and am more likely to obey Him.

The above passage could be written like this: Because God gave me all I need and I believe this is true, then I must act like it and learn more about His gifts. One of them is self-control so I don’t need to continue in my silliness. Another is persistence. Another is godliness with affection and love for my brothers and sisters in Christ. It isn’t that these qualities save me, but they show that I am saved and they make my life useful to God. If I don’t use what God has given me, then I’ve forgotten what He has done, but if I keep on in spiritual disciplines and obedience, I will not fall back into those old ways. I can walk into heaven with my head high rather than being ashamed of how much life I have wasted.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, I know this. I also know that I need reminding. That is one reason I’m in Your Word every day and thinking about Your promises, relying on what You say rather than my old way of thinking. You have not only given me all that I need, You have made life an exciting adventure, an abundant life just as You promised. I’m sure that nothing compares to the delights of walking with You, even robbing banks — had I tried that! 

Today’s thankful list . . .

- God kept me out of lots of trouble before I believed in Him.

- He still does!

- Finally figuring out how to get an old laser printer to do a new job.

- Relaxing with my hubby.

- Panini cheese sandwiches.

- time change that gives an extra hour of sleep.