Constant Practice for Spiritual Maturity

I hate doing the same things the same way all the time.  To me, “routine” is just a “rut” with added letters to disguise it.  The older I get, however, the more value I find in repetition and consistency.

Sunday, as I watched the FSU Women’s softball team on TV, one of the commentators, Michele Smith, a former Olympic pitcher, mentioned how every time she practiced she did things the exact same way.  She extolled the virtues of a “routine.”  She mentioned that she did this so that in whatever situation she might be pitching, she would always feel comfortable.  Pitching was as natural to her as walking. Athletes develop routines so that their activity becomes so natural that they do not need to give it conscious thought. When pressure is on and fans are screaming and the game is on the line, they revert to what comes naturally and excel in those clutch situations.

We must beware of two caveats, however.  First, the athlete has to engage the routine, not just go through the motions.  Their “heart” has to be “in it.”  Secondly, the practice routine must involve doing the activity the proper way or else bad habits are programmed in place of the right way.

We succeed in whatever we choose to do when we INTENTIONALLY pursue the right goal in the right manner.  The writer of the book of Hebrews spends a good deal of the 5th chapter writing about spiritual maturity.  He identifies the spiritually mature person as one who has “their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:14

What is your constant practice?  How do you “train” for spiritual success?  Bible reading and study, prayer, worship, fellowship with other believers, all when done intentionally, consistently, properly, and with our whole hearts provide a good routine that will help us act not naturally, but Godly when the pressure is on.

 

Are You Living in Your Sweet Spot?

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Pretty much every concern of life falls into one of three categories – things I cannot control, things I can control but shouldn’t, and things I can control and should.  How I choose categorize the daily cares and responsibilities of my life will determine my attitude and eventually my attitude will determine my effectiveness.

Many things fall into the category of things that I cannot control. For most of us, many things lie outside of our control – the weather, others’ actions and opinions of us, the ebb and flow of daily events, just to name a few.  Trying to control the uncontrollable only leads to frustration, anxiety, and ultimately burnout.  We need to remember to trust God and follow His leading in these situations. (Matthew 6:33, Proverbs 3:5,6)

When we try to control things we can but shouldn’t, we can overload ourselves with too many responsibilities.  In doing this we can rob others of the joy of accomplishment, or enable those who should be taking responsibility to continue to shirk their responsibilities.  Even more dangerously, we may grow resentful over increased responsibility rather than joyful in the Lord.

When we learn to discern and concern ourselves on with those things we can and should control, we enjoy the freedom to live joyfully and enthusiastically.  We enjoy what Max Lucado in his book Cure for the Common Life calls “living in your sweet spot.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11)

Be mindful today of the things you do and why you do them.  Do you live from a sense of purpose and calling or do you live out of obligation and a sense of “if I don’t do it no one else will”?

Choose to live on purpose, intentional, and in what Christ has given you to do for this day.

My Clock Is Ticking

The sudden and tragic death of a church member has laid a question heavy on my heart: “Am I a good steward of my life?”

My clock is ticking.  There are 86,400 seconds in every day. How do I use them? Do I spend them or invest them?  Do I major on the things that really matter, or squander away those seconds on things that will not matter in time?  Those 86,400 are counting down.  I am not guaranteed a fresh clock tomorrow, so have I fully invested today’s allotment?

What if we get to the end of it all and found that we accomplished some tremendous things, we collected some nice toys, but we built this beautiful life with the wrong materials and it was all for naught? What if we succeed at pleasing ourselves or others only to find at the end of our lives that God is not pleased with us?

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10

Take care how you use your 86, 400. Live with passion, intentionality, and purpose. Focus on what REALLY matters.  Each day is a gift from God to you; how you use that day is your gift to God.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. – Philippians 1:9-11

A Lesson from The Other Father Who Had Two Sons

We are all familiar with Jesus’ parable about the man who had two sons: the younger who wasted his inheritance playing and partying before repenting and returning home, and the older son who childishly pouted over his brother’s coming home party.

You can read about another father with two difficult sons in Matthew 21:28-32.  The gist of the story is that the man told both of his sons to go work in the vineyard.  The first son said NO, but later felt bad about that, and went to work as his father requested.  The second son told his father that he would do it, but never did get around to it.  Jesus asked the crowd around Him which son actually DID what the father requested.  Of course, the answer is the first son who initially refused but finally went.

The immediate context of that parable is the failure of the religious establishment of Jesus’ day to do God’s will and the openness to God’s will of the ones those religious people considered vile and sinful.  An overarching principle, however, emerges that challenges us in our relationship with God.  The greatest value arises not from what we say we will do, what we think we should do, or what we want to do, but from what we actually DO.

So, let me ask you.  Not what are you saying about it or planning to do about it, but what are you actually DOING about your walk with God?  Are you reading you Bible?  Are you praying? Are your serving God? Are you exercising an increasing amount of faith?

What has God told you to do that now is the time to stop thinking about it, praying about it, and considering it, but to start DOING it?  Live intentionally. Start yesterday.

3 Non-Black-Eyed P’s to Start 2014

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…  Ecclesiastes 9:10a

As 2014 begins, you may have already made some New Year’s resolutions.  You may even have already broken some New Year’s resolutions. In the scripture above, I find three challenges for the coming year.

Be proactive.  The verse suggests that our “hands” can find something to do.  Too many times we sit back and wait for things to get better, or wait for opportunities to present themselves.  Choose a course of action and will to follow it.  Do not be distracted or derailed by unfavorable circumstances.  In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said we are to ask, but then we are to seek and knock.  Quit waiting for God or for others to do what is yours to do.

Be purposeful.  The verse encourages us that when our hand finds something to do, simply to DO IT. Life is best lived intentionally.  Thomas Edison famously said, “Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.”  We can often “overcook” opportunities by not seizing them when they arise.  In 2014 – less talking…more doing.  Like the Nike slogan says, “just DO it.”

Finally, be passionate.  The verse above says that we should do these things with “all of our might.” Life too easily slips into a comfortable routine. “Routine” is “rut” with four extra letters.  We go through the motions most days of our lives lacking passion and zeal.  Andrew Carnegie said, “The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work.”  Romans 12:11 challenges us: “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”   May God give us a strong aversion to the mundane, mediocre, and milquetoast. 

Three questions for reflection, answer them with specifics:

  1. What needs to change in my life?
  2. How do they need to change?
  3. What am I going to do foster those changes?