Last week we began to sketch out a picture - a blueprint-a design for our spiritual lives..A drawing that God began within each of us long before we were ever born. We learned that part of our make up - part of us being human is our need - and our longing - to connect with God..Our spirit longs to meet with our Creator - and that the center of all that we are is most fulfilled when we connect with Him in continuously deepening ways..
We also learned that as much as God desires to meet with us and connect with us individually, He will not force His way into our lives..
But instead it is up to us to place or to position our lives in such a way that we can hear and detect and meet with God in ever-expanding ways..To be disciplined in how we approach our spiritual lives. So let me begin the day's talk with the verse I left you with last week..The Apostle Paul said this.
"Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next."
(1 Timothy 4:7-8)
Paul is reminding us here that this positioning of our lives before God takes some training..That connecting with God in ever increasing ways does not just happen.
I want you to be very aware that the enemy of our souls bases his existence and vision on this very issue of us connecting with God - his purpose is to divide our souls - from one another and to divide our souls from meeting with and connecting with God. His name - "the devil" - means the divider..I want you to be clear on something right away. Today I want to challenge you to step up your training - to increase the intensity of your spiritual exercise program. And if there is one thing the evil one does not want to see happen, it is a bunch of people intensifying their spiritual workouts.
What we speak of these days is of critical importance to our spiritual lives..because (folks, hear this) there is a war being fought over each of our souls..(even as I speak)..A cosmic battle for your soul and mine..
and eternity hangs in the balance. And today I am challenging you to learn to defend yourself spiritually - to put into practice some spiritual disciplines that will create a strong defense against the enemy's attacks..but also, these disciplines will put our spiritual lives on an aggressive line - an offensive ground taking front that will help us walk boldly into enemy territory and stake our claim - never to lose that ground again..A solid foundation for your spiritual life to be built on..Are you ready?
Last week - looked at design. Today - build a foundation for our spiritual lives..based on that design..This week - rare challenge. Went into some books on the history of Christ-followers throughout the ages. Learned what they did. Pass these basic exercises on to you so your workout can be enhanced..
1. Marking Out the Foundation
The Apostle Paul clearly called us to exercise our spiritual lives and to train to be godly as the foundation of building our spiritual lives. In fact, he doesn't even think about this practical and disciplined approach to Christianity in any other terms. He assumes that practicing the spiritual disciplines is a normal and necessary part of a healthy spiritual life. He assumes that just as with our physical bodies, there is a specific set of activities we must do to establish, maintain, and enhance our spiritual power.
We must train, Paul says, as well as try. See, an athlete may have all the enthusiasm in the world, but talk does not win any games. Appropriate and disciplined practice (training) is what creates success. We must train wisely as well as intensely for spiritual attainment. And this training is always about partnering with the Holy Spirit of God in our efforts..
It is He who adds the power.
Now understand - and I clearly want to say this - I am not talking about some quick fix spiritually.."If you do this - you will be a superhero spiritually in 7 days" - No. This is lifelong, long-term, big picture stuff..
(more on that next week). Nor am I talking about a list of do's and don'ts.
And for those of you with a "rules-oriented" religious background, just relax. This stuff is supposed to be freeing in our lives, not burdensome. No guilt attached. Let me remind you of a very freeing verse..
1 John 5:3 - "His commands are not burdensome."
So please, release yourself from guilt and rules..These disciplines are only here to enhance your spiritual lives. They have no power in themselves. The goal is not in these practices.."The goal is the effective and full enjoyment of the active love of God." (foster) These disciplines should only help see God clearer.
One more thought..If I got up here every week and only ever told you what was nice and good and easy..If I only ever told you what you wanted to hear and never challenged you..I wouldn't be doing my job very well. So let me say this clearly..In fact, I'll let Dallas Willard say it..
"Where have we gotten this idea that the spiritual life is always about doing what feels good? Here's a major problem.
The most generally applied standard of success for a religious service in North America is whether or not people feel good in it or after it. This mentality makes it impossible for many people to even imagine that spiritual training and exercise is a fact of life."
Here's my point..It takes effort and sweat and even a little pain to get into shape and stay in shape..And this is true spiritually as much as physically. So I guess I'm saying - if you think following Jesus is just a walk in the park..if you think developing and growing and expanding and building your soul is an effort free deal - think again.
It is clearly and often in the pain of training where we see the most gain in our souls.
2. A Strong Foundation
Jesus' parable - house on a rock/house on the sand.
Hear this truth - if you build your spiritual life on this foundation - (spiritual disciplines) - you are on a rock. Let the rains come, bring them on. You stand with saints of old..centuries of Christ-followers have gone before us..
basing their Christian life on these things. Be encouraged - be confident.
Let me run through a list of some of the classic disciplines very quickly..broken into 2 categories (not an exhaustive list):
Disciplines of Abstinence Disciplines of Engagement
Solitude Study
Silence Prayer
Fasting Worship
Celebration (corporate discipline)
Now what I'm gonna do today is just walk you through some of these..some will connect with you, some may not. Some will be easy, some not. Focus on the challenging ones. Whatever you need to intensify your workout..
The disciplines of abstinence have to do with this thought - "saying no to something in order to say yes to God"..The reality is our life is full of stuff we say yes to without thinking..Like busyness and noise and TV and entertainment and food in excess. And people, none of these are evil in themselves..but what about when these really nice things get in the way of us experiencing God more..
"In the disciplines of abstinence, we abstain to some degree and for some time from the satisfaction of what we generally regard as normal or legitimate desires." ~ Dallas Willard Let's explore this idea more..
Solitude
Solitude is all about intentionally abstaining from interaction with other people. It's about closing ourselves away - to the cabin - to the wilderness - or just somewhere where no one knows us..And we don't go there for rest or refreshment necessarily. Solitude is simply choosing to be alone and to dwell on our experience of isolation. It breaks us of the habits and patterns of every day human life that we are locked into patterns that rely so heavily on human interaction..Solitude gives us distance - mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And it's within that aloneness where we learn to cling to God. Solitude is the key discipline in my mind..because it sets the stage for several other disciplines to be placed within it. Trying to fast or pray or attempt any other discipline without the preparation accomplished in withdrawal/solitude is extremely difficult.
See..it is out of solitude where our soul is prepared to rely on God and expand with His love and grace and presence. Jesus spent significant and regular time alone - secluded - only meeting with His heavenly Father.
Paul - some scholars believe spend months and even years alone before he entered the full time ministry he is known for. Thomas a Kempis echoed the thoughts of thousands of early Christ-followers.."Shut thy door upon thee and call to Jesus thy love. Dwell with Him for you shall not find elsewhere so great a peace." There is exercise #1 - and all the others will follow that single and very challenging discipline..This is where your foundation is strengthened.
Silence
Is all about closing off our souls to sounds - to noise, music, words. This is not being quiet (which usually means less noise). This is total silence. Lots of folks have never experienced silence and don't even know that they do not know what it is. Think about your life - houses and offices filled with the whining, buzzing, murmuring, and chattering of life. And it's people and machines. In our society, noise comforts us somehow. In fact, we find silence shocking..because we think nothing is happening if life is silent.
My mom - fridge - listen - silence.
Silence is the discipline that goes beyond solitude..because it strips us like nothing else can. In silence we become extremely aware of the stark realities of our life. It's kinda like death a little bit..because it cuts us off from this world and leaves only us and God..Silence is a little scary, because if you haven't been there in a while, the very real fear is this: What if I don't like me when I'm alone? And what if there is very little to "me and God" when it's only me and Him.
The discipline of silence is not only about listening to God or listening to your own soul. Silence is also about not talking..What a novel idea. (This is a big deal.) How often do our mouths hurt others - cutting and slashing in anger or sarcasm..
Or how often do we wish a foot was not in the way of our tongue..The book of James says that if we learn to control our tongues, the entire rest of our lives will come in line..Silence gives us practice at learning to tame the tongue:
"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." (James 1:19)
One more thought here..The more we practice silence, the more we will gain and live in an inner confidence that only comes from being able to know and dwell within the quiet of our own souls. |
