This post will be short and, hopefully, sweet.
I am bombarded daily with pressure, from every possible angle, to succeed. Apart from Christ, and the peace that my faith in an Almighty and Sovereign God affords, I would likely have folded my hand and stopped playing the game long ago.
Fortunately, my friends, our Creator is faithful. He has provided every possible resource to us in this generation of unyielding pressure. The Bible, our church family, our brothers and sisters in the faith, our fellow warriors in God's army...most of all, the Holy Spirit Himself are here with us. The "cloud of witnesses" that Hebrews 12 speaks of, every single believer who has gone before us, they are all cheering you on. When you are sitting there, going through some trial, some struggle...the entire host of Heaven is spurring you on. All throughout scripture, we find so much evidence of God's love, care, compassion, purpose and plan for us.
Through every trial, whether in failure or success, God's sovereign plan is at work in our lives. Personally, I learn much more from the pain, regret and shame of failure. Failure causes me to re-assess my strategies, my purposes, motivations, ambitions, etc. I am gradually learning to thank God for the failures He allows me to experience, for they are great opportunities to grow and mature in the faith and life in general.
Here's some nuggets of truth to chew on for today and this week:
2 Tim 4: 7-8:
7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing
Matt. 25:22-24:
22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' 23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
1 Cor. 9:24-27:
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Gal. 5:7-8:
7You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.
Heb. 12:1-3:
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Phil. 4:13:
13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
John 15:18-21:
18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.
Job 11:15-16:
15 then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear.
16 You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.
Psalm 20:7-9:
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.
9 O LORD, save the king! Answer us when we call!
Jer. 29:11:
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
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Be blessed, my friends. Walk in His strength today.
30 October 2007
28 October 2007
Poetic Expression: Round 4
This is a piece written my Edgar Lee Masters. Read it through at least twice...
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I have studied many times the marble that was chiseled for me
A boat with furled sail at rest in the harbor
In truth, it pictures not my destination,
But my life.
For love was offered me, but I shrank from its disillusionment
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid
Ambition called me to, but I dreaded the chances
Yet all the while, I hungered for meaning in my life
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny wherever they drive the boat
To put meaning in one's life may end in madness
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire
It is a boat longing for the sea, and yet afraid
A boat with furled sail at rest in the harbor
In truth, it pictures not my destination,
But my life.
For love was offered me, but I shrank from its disillusionment
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid
Ambition called me to, but I dreaded the chances
Yet all the while, I hungered for meaning in my life
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny wherever they drive the boat
To put meaning in one's life may end in madness
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire
It is a boat longing for the sea, and yet afraid
20 October 2007
Pine Cove Poetry
This piece was written while sitting on the family boat dock at Pine Cove on July 19, 2006.
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If you spend your days looking for the future, how will you ever enjoy your present?
Someday when your past is much larger than your future,
You will remember with sadness a better time.
A time when opportunity was on your side,
A time when big risk was a chance for big gain
The unknown is a beautiful thing, potential has no substitute.
But when all in your life is known and the fog has formed around you,
Who will you cling to?
Hold steadfast to the wellspring of life, your Rock.
Your Fortress and Ever-Living God.
The Giver of all good things, including the satisfaction and joy
Of your days long since past.
Live in the now, stay true to the moment
Every second has its place and can never be replaced
If you learn from your past and take hold of your present
The future's worries will attend to themselves.
Trust wholly in the God of your salvation,
The Mighty Warrior and Conquering King.
To God alone, bestow all glory, honor and praise.
To Christ alone, lay down your life.
Take up your cross and follow.
Someday when your past is much larger than your future,
You will remember with sadness a better time.
A time when opportunity was on your side,
A time when big risk was a chance for big gain
The unknown is a beautiful thing, potential has no substitute.
But when all in your life is known and the fog has formed around you,
Who will you cling to?
Hold steadfast to the wellspring of life, your Rock.
Your Fortress and Ever-Living God.
The Giver of all good things, including the satisfaction and joy
Of your days long since past.
Live in the now, stay true to the moment
Every second has its place and can never be replaced
If you learn from your past and take hold of your present
The future's worries will attend to themselves.
Trust wholly in the God of your salvation,
The Mighty Warrior and Conquering King.
To God alone, bestow all glory, honor and praise.
To Christ alone, lay down your life.
Take up your cross and follow.
19 October 2007
A change in perspective
What's your take on life right now? Do you see the bigger picture? Maybe your circumstances are looking up, maybe they're down right now. The question is...do you draw your satisfaction and joy from your circumstances or from something more stable and dependable than that?
Just like the cold side of the pillow...it's all a matter of perspective.
Here's a brief rundown of how my perspective has changed in recent months:
I used to have a list of goals and ambitions that I was working toward. I had come to the conclusion that God had "called" me to them, and so I pursued them with reckless abandoned. When the goal changed, I had a very hard time understanding why it seemed like everything had been turned on its head. In reality, it was only my plans that were turned on their head. God's plan just kept trucking along like it had never stopped. Now the goal and ambition for the future is to fulfill God's will and purpose for me. The circumstances and outcome are entirely up to Him. It's just my job to faithfully live out His teachings and follow His sovereign will. It's all a matter of perspective.
I used to date without a purpose or plan. My physical boundaries have long been set. Unfortunately, my emotional boundaries were not. I had no set plan for living a disciplined life in regard to dating / looking for a mate. There was not much thought given to how you get from "hi" to "I do". I wasn't disciplined with my eyes, my words, my thoughts or my actions. I led people on; I was responsible for misunderstandings and pain. Now, my perspective has changed. I understand the importance of setting myself apart for my wife to be (mind, body and soul). I am now endeavoring to stay as chaste with my heart and my emotions as I have long been with my body. Christ is the sole object of my affections for now. Certainly, I look forward to being married...but that is in God's hands. The opportunity will present itself and I will be led to pursue that wonderful lady in due time. Temporary pleasure and satisfaction have been placed on the altar of purity. It's all a matter of perspective.
I used to look at my relationship with God as another bullet on the day's "to-do" list. Bible time? Check. Prayer? Check. Ok, now let's get on with the day. NO! I can't tell you how much my eyes have been opened to the heart of our Savior during these past few months. I am closer to Jesus now than I've ever been before. I understand more now than I've ever understood before. Jesus Christ has finally become the intimate and personal Lord that we all want to see. Jesus gets His time each morning, but not because I have to give it to Him. It's because I absolutely can't live without Him. He has become my rock and foundation. He is the umbrella I crawl under when the thunderstorms come at me. He is my strength, my wisdom and voice. No longer is He a chore...He's my Jesus, and I love Him dearly. It's all a matter of perspective.
Everything in life has at least two sides to look at. We are all adults now, we have a choice. What are you choosing to do today? Are you satisfied with the status quo? My friends, never settle for adequate. Our God hasn't called to acceptable life, He has called us to "abundant life" - John 10:10. Changing your perspective is up to you. No one can ever change it for you. I hope and pray that you will seek and find the absolute best our Heavenly Father has in store for you.
Be blessed...
Just like the cold side of the pillow...it's all a matter of perspective.
Here's a brief rundown of how my perspective has changed in recent months:
I used to have a list of goals and ambitions that I was working toward. I had come to the conclusion that God had "called" me to them, and so I pursued them with reckless abandoned. When the goal changed, I had a very hard time understanding why it seemed like everything had been turned on its head. In reality, it was only my plans that were turned on their head. God's plan just kept trucking along like it had never stopped. Now the goal and ambition for the future is to fulfill God's will and purpose for me. The circumstances and outcome are entirely up to Him. It's just my job to faithfully live out His teachings and follow His sovereign will. It's all a matter of perspective.
I used to date without a purpose or plan. My physical boundaries have long been set. Unfortunately, my emotional boundaries were not. I had no set plan for living a disciplined life in regard to dating / looking for a mate. There was not much thought given to how you get from "hi" to "I do". I wasn't disciplined with my eyes, my words, my thoughts or my actions. I led people on; I was responsible for misunderstandings and pain. Now, my perspective has changed. I understand the importance of setting myself apart for my wife to be (mind, body and soul). I am now endeavoring to stay as chaste with my heart and my emotions as I have long been with my body. Christ is the sole object of my affections for now. Certainly, I look forward to being married...but that is in God's hands. The opportunity will present itself and I will be led to pursue that wonderful lady in due time. Temporary pleasure and satisfaction have been placed on the altar of purity. It's all a matter of perspective.
I used to look at my relationship with God as another bullet on the day's "to-do" list. Bible time? Check. Prayer? Check. Ok, now let's get on with the day. NO! I can't tell you how much my eyes have been opened to the heart of our Savior during these past few months. I am closer to Jesus now than I've ever been before. I understand more now than I've ever understood before. Jesus Christ has finally become the intimate and personal Lord that we all want to see. Jesus gets His time each morning, but not because I have to give it to Him. It's because I absolutely can't live without Him. He has become my rock and foundation. He is the umbrella I crawl under when the thunderstorms come at me. He is my strength, my wisdom and voice. No longer is He a chore...He's my Jesus, and I love Him dearly. It's all a matter of perspective.
Everything in life has at least two sides to look at. We are all adults now, we have a choice. What are you choosing to do today? Are you satisfied with the status quo? My friends, never settle for adequate. Our God hasn't called to acceptable life, He has called us to "abundant life" - John 10:10. Changing your perspective is up to you. No one can ever change it for you. I hope and pray that you will seek and find the absolute best our Heavenly Father has in store for you.
Be blessed...
09 October 2007
Discipline: part 2
A wise friend asked for another post about discipline, this time focusing more on the mental aspects. This post will be directed at the men, mainly because I have absolutely no qualifications to be writing about the workings of the female mind.
It is a devious trap that those who desire to practice mental discipline could find themselves in. Even the message that we receive from the Christian subculture and media outlets often misses the mark. We're told that if we're well behaved men, that if we follow the Christian checklist of Bible, prayer, church...while obeying the massive "thou shalt not" list, then we have been successful. My friends, I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is that actually living a disciplined, God-honoring life is much more complex than that. The good news is that living a disciplined, God-honoring life is also much more rewarding than following any checklist ever could be.
There are 3 attributes I believe are absolutely integral to developing genuine and life-transforming discipline in our lives: a servant's heart, a focused mind and a determined hand.
Servant's Heart: "Jesus called the Twelve and said, 'If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.'" - Mark 9:35. This trait goes hand in hand with humility. Both are very difficult to obtain without the other. One of the many things I credit to God's work at Pine Cove is the development of a servant's heart in my life. Bringing a servant's heart and motivation back to SFA and trying diligently to squash the arrogant, conceited, prideful persona I used to exhibit has been excruciatingly difficult. Putting other people before yourself is not natural. It goes completely against our human nature and the sin that dwells inside it. Elevating other people and placing their wants and needs higher than our own crushes "the flesh". That is why fostering a genuine servant's heart is such a potent weapon in the fight for a disciplined, God-honoring life.
Focused Mind: "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Col. 3:17. We will not be effective in the rat race of today's society unless we develop the habit of actively giving God the situations we find ourselves in. I know beyond a doubt that everyone reading this post has experienced ineffective prayer or Bible time before. You've probably felt your prayers bounce off the ceiling or felt like the passage you were reading was about as interesting as a 2am infomercial. There are many reasons for ineffective God time, some out of your control and some not. However, Jesus Himself showed us the best way to spend time with God, " But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" - Luke 5:16. If you give God your full attention when you sit down to pray or crack open the word, I guarantee you'll be setting the stage for a much more fruitful and productive time with your Creator. Whatever you do, do it well.
The same can be said for all the other aspects of living a disciplined life. Be focused. Be intentional. In all that you do, be mindful of the bigger picture here. We're working for the glory of our God. We're working to know Him better through all our activities, responsibilities, etc. If we're not, then I say we are wasting precious time! If you're relaxing, thank God for the rest He's allowed you to have. Thank Him for the sunshine and the lemonade in your hand. The concept of "pray continually" - 1 Thes. 5:17 doesn't mean you're literally on your face 24/7. If you practice a focused mind, you'll be amazed at the results in your "God time" and the rest of your life as well.
Determined hand: An unrelenting, passionate, zealous commitment to your relationship with Jesus Christ is necessary. If you determine in your heart to follow the commands of Jesus and thus prove your love for Him, you must be steadfast in your walk. There must not be any wavering in your steps. My friends, our God has empowered us to diligently follow after Him. Sure, there will be trials, troubles, unforeseen hangups and temptations. These should come as no surprise. "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33. A commitment to living out your faith on a daily basis is key to establishing patterns of righteousness. A wise man once said, "Excellence is the result of habitual integrity." If you give your daily walk over to God, submit it to Him and ask for His strength to live a life that honors Him...you will find an powerful ally ready and waiting. My friends, we still have a responsibility to walk down the right path and make the right decisions. However, leaving the unexpected in the hands of an Almighty God makes life easier and a whole lot less stressful. Set your will to do good, to show love and mercy, to be Jesus to a lost and dying world. Determine to open God's word with an intent heart and mind on a regular basis. Be disciplined. Live your life on a mission!
Be blessed...
It is a devious trap that those who desire to practice mental discipline could find themselves in. Even the message that we receive from the Christian subculture and media outlets often misses the mark. We're told that if we're well behaved men, that if we follow the Christian checklist of Bible, prayer, church...while obeying the massive "thou shalt not" list, then we have been successful. My friends, I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is that actually living a disciplined, God-honoring life is much more complex than that. The good news is that living a disciplined, God-honoring life is also much more rewarding than following any checklist ever could be.
There are 3 attributes I believe are absolutely integral to developing genuine and life-transforming discipline in our lives: a servant's heart, a focused mind and a determined hand.
Servant's Heart: "Jesus called the Twelve and said, 'If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.'" - Mark 9:35. This trait goes hand in hand with humility. Both are very difficult to obtain without the other. One of the many things I credit to God's work at Pine Cove is the development of a servant's heart in my life. Bringing a servant's heart and motivation back to SFA and trying diligently to squash the arrogant, conceited, prideful persona I used to exhibit has been excruciatingly difficult. Putting other people before yourself is not natural. It goes completely against our human nature and the sin that dwells inside it. Elevating other people and placing their wants and needs higher than our own crushes "the flesh". That is why fostering a genuine servant's heart is such a potent weapon in the fight for a disciplined, God-honoring life.
Focused Mind: "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Col. 3:17. We will not be effective in the rat race of today's society unless we develop the habit of actively giving God the situations we find ourselves in. I know beyond a doubt that everyone reading this post has experienced ineffective prayer or Bible time before. You've probably felt your prayers bounce off the ceiling or felt like the passage you were reading was about as interesting as a 2am infomercial. There are many reasons for ineffective God time, some out of your control and some not. However, Jesus Himself showed us the best way to spend time with God, " But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" - Luke 5:16. If you give God your full attention when you sit down to pray or crack open the word, I guarantee you'll be setting the stage for a much more fruitful and productive time with your Creator. Whatever you do, do it well.
The same can be said for all the other aspects of living a disciplined life. Be focused. Be intentional. In all that you do, be mindful of the bigger picture here. We're working for the glory of our God. We're working to know Him better through all our activities, responsibilities, etc. If we're not, then I say we are wasting precious time! If you're relaxing, thank God for the rest He's allowed you to have. Thank Him for the sunshine and the lemonade in your hand. The concept of "pray continually" - 1 Thes. 5:17 doesn't mean you're literally on your face 24/7. If you practice a focused mind, you'll be amazed at the results in your "God time" and the rest of your life as well.
Determined hand: An unrelenting, passionate, zealous commitment to your relationship with Jesus Christ is necessary. If you determine in your heart to follow the commands of Jesus and thus prove your love for Him, you must be steadfast in your walk. There must not be any wavering in your steps. My friends, our God has empowered us to diligently follow after Him. Sure, there will be trials, troubles, unforeseen hangups and temptations. These should come as no surprise. "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33. A commitment to living out your faith on a daily basis is key to establishing patterns of righteousness. A wise man once said, "Excellence is the result of habitual integrity." If you give your daily walk over to God, submit it to Him and ask for His strength to live a life that honors Him...you will find an powerful ally ready and waiting. My friends, we still have a responsibility to walk down the right path and make the right decisions. However, leaving the unexpected in the hands of an Almighty God makes life easier and a whole lot less stressful. Set your will to do good, to show love and mercy, to be Jesus to a lost and dying world. Determine to open God's word with an intent heart and mind on a regular basis. Be disciplined. Live your life on a mission!
Be blessed...
08 October 2007
Time keeps on ticking...
7 Days x 24 Hours = 168 total hours in a week.
How do you spend your time?
1 Cor. 7:29 - "What I mean, brothers, is that time is short..."
Part of being disciplined is knowing where your time goes. I challenge you to account for your time this week. You will most likely find several areas you can put to better use (be more effecient or effective in your tasks, be more intentional in ministry, give God more time, etc.).
I can't very well challenge you to do something if I'm not willing to do it myself...so here's how my last week was spent:
Sleeping - 46hrs
In class/lab - 26hrs
At work - 24hrs
Studying - 16hrs
Doing BYX stuff - 11hrs
Working out/basketball - 8hrs
Orientation at hospital - 8hrs
At Church/GE - 7hrs
Prayer/Bible - 7hrs
Eating - 7hrs
Playing Halo3/chillaxin' - 4hrs
Writing blogs - 2hrs
Facebook/AIM - 2hrs
It would be easy to look at this and get discouraged at the lack of time spent on "important" stuff like church, God time, etc. However, every single activity or responsibility of your week is an opportunity to be intentional with your life and your ministry. Make the most of the hours you're given (the average person only gets 648,240 of them.) Live your life on a mission.
Be blessed...
How do you spend your time?
1 Cor. 7:29 - "What I mean, brothers, is that time is short..."
Part of being disciplined is knowing where your time goes. I challenge you to account for your time this week. You will most likely find several areas you can put to better use (be more effecient or effective in your tasks, be more intentional in ministry, give God more time, etc.).
I can't very well challenge you to do something if I'm not willing to do it myself...so here's how my last week was spent:
Sleeping - 46hrs
In class/lab - 26hrs
At work - 24hrs
Studying - 16hrs
Doing BYX stuff - 11hrs
Working out/basketball - 8hrs
Orientation at hospital - 8hrs
At Church/GE - 7hrs
Prayer/Bible - 7hrs
Eating - 7hrs
Playing Halo3/chillaxin' - 4hrs
Writing blogs - 2hrs
Facebook/AIM - 2hrs
It would be easy to look at this and get discouraged at the lack of time spent on "important" stuff like church, God time, etc. However, every single activity or responsibility of your week is an opportunity to be intentional with your life and your ministry. Make the most of the hours you're given (the average person only gets 648,240 of them.) Live your life on a mission.
Be blessed...
06 October 2007
Boundless Article: Subversive Virginity
I found this article on Boundless.org. It's a refreshing change in perspective from the twisted, self-destructive message our culture drowns us in. Enjoy!
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kay, I’ll admit it: I am twenty-two years old and still a virgin. Not for lack of opportunity, my vanity hastens to add. Had I ever felt unduly burdened by my unfashionable innocence, I could have found someone to attend to the problem. But I never did.
Our mainstream culture tells me that some oppressive force must be the cause of my late-in-life virginity, maybe an inordinate fear of men or God or getting caught. Perhaps it’s right, since I can pinpoint a number of influences that have persuaded me to remain a virgin. My mother taught me that self-respect requires self-control, and my father taught me to demand the same from men. I’m enough of a country bumpkin to suspect that contraceptives might not be enough to prevent an unwanted pregnancy or disease, and I think that abortion is killing a baby. I buy into all that Christian doctrine of law and promise, which means that the stuffy old commandments are still binding on my conscience. And I’m even naive enough to believe in permanent, exclusive, divinely ordained love between a man and a woman, a love so valuable that it motivates me to keep my legs tightly crossed in the most tempting of situations.
Defining Sexuality DownIn spite of all this, I still think of myself as something of a feminist, since virginity has the result of creating respect for and upholding the value of the woman so inclined. But I have discovered that the reigning feminism of today has little use for it. There was a time when I was foolish enough to look for literature among women’s publications that might offer support in my very personal decision. (It’s all about choice, after all, isn’t it?) The dearth of information on virginity might lead one to believe that it’s a taboo subject. However, I was fortunate enough to discover a short article on it in that revered tome of feminism, Our Bodies, Ourselves.
The most recent edition of the book has a more positive attitude than the edition before it, in that it acknowledges virginity as a legitimate choice and not just a by-product of patriarchy. Still, in less than a page, it presumes to cover the whole range of emotion and experience involved in virginity, which, it seems, consists simply in the notion that a woman should wait until she’s really ready to express her sexuality. That’s all there is to say about it. Apparently, sexual expression takes place only in and after the act of genital intercourse. Anything subtler — like a feminine love of cooking or tendency to cry at the movies or unsuppressable maternal instinct or cultivation of a wardrobe that will turn heads or even a passionate good-night kiss — is deemed an inadequate demonstration of sexual identity. The unspoken message of Our Bodies, Ourselves is clear enough: as long as a woman is a virgin, she remains completely asexual.
Surprisingly, this attitude has infiltrated the thinking of many women my age, who should still be new enough in the web of lies called adulthood to know better. One of my most vivid college memories is of a conversation with a good friend about my (to her) bizarre aberration of virginity. She and another pal had been delving into the gruesome specifics of their past sexual encounters. Finally, after some time, my friend suddenly exclaimed to me, “How do you do it?”
A little taken aback, I said, “Do what?”
“You know,” she answered, a little reluctant, perhaps, to use the big bad V-word. “You still haven’t ... slept with anybody. How do you do it? Don’t you want to?”
The question intrigued me, because it was so utterly beside the point. Of course I want to — what a strange question! — but mere wanting is hardly a proper guide for moral conduct. I assured my concerned friend that my libido was still in proper working order, but then I had to come up with a good reason why I had been paying attention to my inhibitions for all these years. I offered the usual reasons — emotional and physical health, religious convictions, “saving myself” till marriage — but nothing convinced her until I said, “I guess I don’t know what I’m missing.” She was satisfied with that and ended the conversation.
In one sense, sure, I don’t know what I’m missing. And it is common enough among those who do know what they’re missing to go to great lengths to insure that they don’t miss it for very long. In another sense, though, I could list a lot of things that I do know I’m missing: hurt, betrayal, anxiety, self-deception, fear, suspicion, anger, confusion and the horror of having been used. And those are only emotional aspects; there is also disease, unwanted pregnancy and abortion. As if to prove my case from the other side, my friend suffered a traumatic betrayal within a month or two of our conversation. It turned out that the man involved would gladly sleep with her, but refused to have a “real relationship” — a sad reality she discovered only after the fact.
The Power to ChooseAccording to received feminist wisdom, sexuality is to be understood through the twin concepts of power and choice. It’s not a matter of anything so banally biological as producing children, or even the more elevated notion of creating intimacy and trust. Sometimes it seems like sex isn’t even supposed to be fun. The purpose of female sexuality is to assert power over hapless men, for control, revenge, self-centered pleasure or forcing a commitment. A woman who declines to express herself in sexual activity, then, has fallen prey to a male-dominated society that wishes to prevent women from becoming powerful. By contrast, it is said, a woman who does become sexually active discovers her power over men and exercises it, supposedly to her personal enhancement.
This is an absurd lie. That kind of gender-war sexuality results only in pyrrhic victories. It’s a set-up for disaster, especially for women. Men aren’t the ones who get pregnant. And who ever heard of a man purchasing a glossy magazine to learn the secret of snagging a wife? Sacrifice and the relinquishing of power are natural to women — ask any mom — and they are also the secret of feminine appeal. The pretense that aggression and power-mongering are the only options for female sexual success has opened the door to predatory men. The imbalance of power becomes greater than ever in a culture of easy access.
Against this system of mutual exploitation stands the more compelling alternative of virginity. It escapes the ruthless cycle of winning and losing because it refuses to play the game. The promiscuous of both sexes will take their cheap shots at one another, disguising infidelity and selfishness as freedom and independence, and blaming the aftermath on one another. But no one can claim control over a virgin. Virginity is not a matter of asserting power in order to manipulate. It is a refusal to exploit or be exploited. That is real, and responsible, power.
But there is more to it than mere escape. There is an undeniable appeal in virginity, something that eludes the resentful feminist’s contemptuous label of “prude.” A virgin woman is an unattainable object of desire, and it is precisely her unattainability that increases her desirability. Feminism has told a lie in defense of its own promiscuity, namely, that there is no sexual power to be found in virginity. On the contrary, virgin sexuality has extraordinary and unusual power. There’s no second-guessing a virgin’s motives: her strength comes from a source beyond her transitory whims. It is sexuality dedicated to hope, to the future, to marital love, to children and to God. Her virginity is, at the same time, a statement of her mature independence from men. It allows a woman to become a whole person in her own right, without needing a man either to revolt against or to complete what she lacks. It is very simple, really: no matter how wonderful, charming, handsome, intelligent, thoughtful, rich or persuasive he is, he simply cannot have her. A virgin is perfectly unpossessable.
Of course, there have been some women who have attempted to claim this independence from men by turning in on themselves and opting for lesbian sexuality instead. But this is just another, perhaps deeper, rejection of their femaleness. The sexes rightly define themselves in their otherness. Lesbianism squelches the design of otherness by drowning womanhood in a sea of sameness, and in the process loses any concept of what makes the female feminine. Virginity upholds simply and honestly that which is valuable in and unique to women.
The corollary of power is choice. Again, the feminist assumes that sexually powerful women will be able to choose their own fates. And again, it is a lie. No one can engage in extramarital sex and then control it. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the moral nightmare of our society’s breakdown since the sexual revolution. Some time ago I saw on TV the introduction of the groundbreaking new “female condom.” A spokeswoman at a press conference celebrating its grand opening declared joyously the new freedom that it gave to women. “Now women have more bargaining power,” she said. “If a man says that he refuses to wear a condom, the woman can counter, fine, I will!” I was dumbstruck by her enthusiasm for the dynamics of the new situation. Why on earth would two people harboring so much animosity towards each other contemplate a sexual encounter? What an appealing choice they have been given the freedom to make!
The dark reality, of course, is that it is not free choice at all when women must convince men to love them and must convince themselves that they are more than just “used goods.” There are so many young women I have known for whom freely chosen sexual activity means a brief moment of pleasure — if that — followed by the unchosen side effects of paralyzing uncertainty, anger at the man involved, and finally a deep self-hatred that is impenetrable by feminist analysis. So-called sexual freedom is really just proclaiming oneself to be available for free, and therefore without value. To “choose” such freedom is tantamount to saying that one is worth nothing.
Admittedly, there are some who say that sex isn’t anything nearly so serious or important, but just another recreational activity not substantially different from ping-pong. I don’t believe it for a second. I learned most meaningfully from another woman the destructive force of sexuality out of control when I myself was under considerable pressure to cave in to a man’s sexual demands. I discussed the prospect with this friend, and after some time she finally said to me, “Don’t do it. So far in life you’ve made all the right choices and I’ve made all the wrong ones. I care enough about you that I don’t want to see you end up like me.” Naturally, that made up my mind. Sex does matter; it matters a lot; and I can only hope that those who deny it will wake up to their error before they damage themselves even more.
It is appalling that feminism has propagated lies so destructive to women. It has created the illusion that there is no room for self-discovery outside of sexual behavior. Not only is this a grotesque lie, but it is also an utterly boring one. Aside from its implied dismissal of all the world’s many riches outside the sexual domain, this false concept has placed stultifying limitations on the range of human relationships. We’re told that friendships between men and women are just a cover until they leap into the sack together. While romance is a natural and a commendable expression of love between women and men, it is simply not the only option. And in our sexually competitive climate, even romantic love barely deserves the title. Virginity among those seeking marital love would go far to improve the latter’s solidity and permanence, creating an atmosphere of honesty and discovery before the equally necessary and longed-for consummation. Where feminism sees freedom from men by placing body parts at their disposal in a bizarre game of self-deception, virginity recognizes the equally vulnerable though often overlooked state of men’s own hearts and seeks a way to love them for real.
It is puzzling and disturbing to me that regnant feminism has never acknowledged the empowering value of virginity. I tend to think that much of the feminist agenda is more invested in the culture of groundless autonomy and sexual Darwinism than it is in genuinely uplifting women. Of course, virginity is a battle against sexual temptation, and popular culture always opts for the easy way out instead of the character-building struggle. The result is superficial women formed by meaningless choices, worthy of stereotype, rather than laudable women of character, worthy of respect.
Preparing for Love:
Perhaps virginity seems a bit cold, even haughty and heartless. But virginity hardly has exclusive claim on those defects, if it has any claim at all. Promiscuity offers a significantly worse fate. I have a very dear friend who, sadly, is more wordly-wise than I am. By libertine feminist standards she ought to be proud of her conquests and ready for more, but frequently she isn’t. The most telling insight about the shambles of her heart came to me once in a phone conversation when we were speculating about our futures. Generally they are filled with exotic travel and adventure and Ph.D.s. This time, however, they were not. She admitted to me that what she really wanted was to be living on a farm in rural Connecticut, raising a horde of children and embroidering tea towels. It is a lovely dream, defiantly unambitious and domestic. But her short, failed sexual relationships haven’t taken her any closer to her dream and have left her little hope that she’ll ever attain it. I must be honest here: virginity hasn’t landed me on a farm in rural Connecticut, either. Sexual innocence is not a guarantee against heartbreak. But there is a crucial difference: I haven’t lost a part of myself to someone who has subsequently spurned it, rejected it, and perhaps never cared for it at all.
I sincerely hope that virginity will not be a lifetime project for me. Quite the contrary, my subversive commitment to virginity serves as preparation for another commitment, for loving one man completely and exclusively. Admittedly, there is a minor frustration in my love: I haven’t met the man yet (at least, not to my knowledge). But hope, which does not disappoint, sustains me.
--------------------------
kay, I’ll admit it: I am twenty-two years old and still a virgin. Not for lack of opportunity, my vanity hastens to add. Had I ever felt unduly burdened by my unfashionable innocence, I could have found someone to attend to the problem. But I never did.
Our mainstream culture tells me that some oppressive force must be the cause of my late-in-life virginity, maybe an inordinate fear of men or God or getting caught. Perhaps it’s right, since I can pinpoint a number of influences that have persuaded me to remain a virgin. My mother taught me that self-respect requires self-control, and my father taught me to demand the same from men. I’m enough of a country bumpkin to suspect that contraceptives might not be enough to prevent an unwanted pregnancy or disease, and I think that abortion is killing a baby. I buy into all that Christian doctrine of law and promise, which means that the stuffy old commandments are still binding on my conscience. And I’m even naive enough to believe in permanent, exclusive, divinely ordained love between a man and a woman, a love so valuable that it motivates me to keep my legs tightly crossed in the most tempting of situations.
Defining Sexuality DownIn spite of all this, I still think of myself as something of a feminist, since virginity has the result of creating respect for and upholding the value of the woman so inclined. But I have discovered that the reigning feminism of today has little use for it. There was a time when I was foolish enough to look for literature among women’s publications that might offer support in my very personal decision. (It’s all about choice, after all, isn’t it?) The dearth of information on virginity might lead one to believe that it’s a taboo subject. However, I was fortunate enough to discover a short article on it in that revered tome of feminism, Our Bodies, Ourselves.
The most recent edition of the book has a more positive attitude than the edition before it, in that it acknowledges virginity as a legitimate choice and not just a by-product of patriarchy. Still, in less than a page, it presumes to cover the whole range of emotion and experience involved in virginity, which, it seems, consists simply in the notion that a woman should wait until she’s really ready to express her sexuality. That’s all there is to say about it. Apparently, sexual expression takes place only in and after the act of genital intercourse. Anything subtler — like a feminine love of cooking or tendency to cry at the movies or unsuppressable maternal instinct or cultivation of a wardrobe that will turn heads or even a passionate good-night kiss — is deemed an inadequate demonstration of sexual identity. The unspoken message of Our Bodies, Ourselves is clear enough: as long as a woman is a virgin, she remains completely asexual.
Surprisingly, this attitude has infiltrated the thinking of many women my age, who should still be new enough in the web of lies called adulthood to know better. One of my most vivid college memories is of a conversation with a good friend about my (to her) bizarre aberration of virginity. She and another pal had been delving into the gruesome specifics of their past sexual encounters. Finally, after some time, my friend suddenly exclaimed to me, “How do you do it?”
A little taken aback, I said, “Do what?”
“You know,” she answered, a little reluctant, perhaps, to use the big bad V-word. “You still haven’t ... slept with anybody. How do you do it? Don’t you want to?”
The question intrigued me, because it was so utterly beside the point. Of course I want to — what a strange question! — but mere wanting is hardly a proper guide for moral conduct. I assured my concerned friend that my libido was still in proper working order, but then I had to come up with a good reason why I had been paying attention to my inhibitions for all these years. I offered the usual reasons — emotional and physical health, religious convictions, “saving myself” till marriage — but nothing convinced her until I said, “I guess I don’t know what I’m missing.” She was satisfied with that and ended the conversation.
In one sense, sure, I don’t know what I’m missing. And it is common enough among those who do know what they’re missing to go to great lengths to insure that they don’t miss it for very long. In another sense, though, I could list a lot of things that I do know I’m missing: hurt, betrayal, anxiety, self-deception, fear, suspicion, anger, confusion and the horror of having been used. And those are only emotional aspects; there is also disease, unwanted pregnancy and abortion. As if to prove my case from the other side, my friend suffered a traumatic betrayal within a month or two of our conversation. It turned out that the man involved would gladly sleep with her, but refused to have a “real relationship” — a sad reality she discovered only after the fact.
The Power to ChooseAccording to received feminist wisdom, sexuality is to be understood through the twin concepts of power and choice. It’s not a matter of anything so banally biological as producing children, or even the more elevated notion of creating intimacy and trust. Sometimes it seems like sex isn’t even supposed to be fun. The purpose of female sexuality is to assert power over hapless men, for control, revenge, self-centered pleasure or forcing a commitment. A woman who declines to express herself in sexual activity, then, has fallen prey to a male-dominated society that wishes to prevent women from becoming powerful. By contrast, it is said, a woman who does become sexually active discovers her power over men and exercises it, supposedly to her personal enhancement.
This is an absurd lie. That kind of gender-war sexuality results only in pyrrhic victories. It’s a set-up for disaster, especially for women. Men aren’t the ones who get pregnant. And who ever heard of a man purchasing a glossy magazine to learn the secret of snagging a wife? Sacrifice and the relinquishing of power are natural to women — ask any mom — and they are also the secret of feminine appeal. The pretense that aggression and power-mongering are the only options for female sexual success has opened the door to predatory men. The imbalance of power becomes greater than ever in a culture of easy access.
Against this system of mutual exploitation stands the more compelling alternative of virginity. It escapes the ruthless cycle of winning and losing because it refuses to play the game. The promiscuous of both sexes will take their cheap shots at one another, disguising infidelity and selfishness as freedom and independence, and blaming the aftermath on one another. But no one can claim control over a virgin. Virginity is not a matter of asserting power in order to manipulate. It is a refusal to exploit or be exploited. That is real, and responsible, power.
But there is more to it than mere escape. There is an undeniable appeal in virginity, something that eludes the resentful feminist’s contemptuous label of “prude.” A virgin woman is an unattainable object of desire, and it is precisely her unattainability that increases her desirability. Feminism has told a lie in defense of its own promiscuity, namely, that there is no sexual power to be found in virginity. On the contrary, virgin sexuality has extraordinary and unusual power. There’s no second-guessing a virgin’s motives: her strength comes from a source beyond her transitory whims. It is sexuality dedicated to hope, to the future, to marital love, to children and to God. Her virginity is, at the same time, a statement of her mature independence from men. It allows a woman to become a whole person in her own right, without needing a man either to revolt against or to complete what she lacks. It is very simple, really: no matter how wonderful, charming, handsome, intelligent, thoughtful, rich or persuasive he is, he simply cannot have her. A virgin is perfectly unpossessable.
Of course, there have been some women who have attempted to claim this independence from men by turning in on themselves and opting for lesbian sexuality instead. But this is just another, perhaps deeper, rejection of their femaleness. The sexes rightly define themselves in their otherness. Lesbianism squelches the design of otherness by drowning womanhood in a sea of sameness, and in the process loses any concept of what makes the female feminine. Virginity upholds simply and honestly that which is valuable in and unique to women.
The corollary of power is choice. Again, the feminist assumes that sexually powerful women will be able to choose their own fates. And again, it is a lie. No one can engage in extramarital sex and then control it. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the moral nightmare of our society’s breakdown since the sexual revolution. Some time ago I saw on TV the introduction of the groundbreaking new “female condom.” A spokeswoman at a press conference celebrating its grand opening declared joyously the new freedom that it gave to women. “Now women have more bargaining power,” she said. “If a man says that he refuses to wear a condom, the woman can counter, fine, I will!” I was dumbstruck by her enthusiasm for the dynamics of the new situation. Why on earth would two people harboring so much animosity towards each other contemplate a sexual encounter? What an appealing choice they have been given the freedom to make!
The dark reality, of course, is that it is not free choice at all when women must convince men to love them and must convince themselves that they are more than just “used goods.” There are so many young women I have known for whom freely chosen sexual activity means a brief moment of pleasure — if that — followed by the unchosen side effects of paralyzing uncertainty, anger at the man involved, and finally a deep self-hatred that is impenetrable by feminist analysis. So-called sexual freedom is really just proclaiming oneself to be available for free, and therefore without value. To “choose” such freedom is tantamount to saying that one is worth nothing.
Admittedly, there are some who say that sex isn’t anything nearly so serious or important, but just another recreational activity not substantially different from ping-pong. I don’t believe it for a second. I learned most meaningfully from another woman the destructive force of sexuality out of control when I myself was under considerable pressure to cave in to a man’s sexual demands. I discussed the prospect with this friend, and after some time she finally said to me, “Don’t do it. So far in life you’ve made all the right choices and I’ve made all the wrong ones. I care enough about you that I don’t want to see you end up like me.” Naturally, that made up my mind. Sex does matter; it matters a lot; and I can only hope that those who deny it will wake up to their error before they damage themselves even more.
It is appalling that feminism has propagated lies so destructive to women. It has created the illusion that there is no room for self-discovery outside of sexual behavior. Not only is this a grotesque lie, but it is also an utterly boring one. Aside from its implied dismissal of all the world’s many riches outside the sexual domain, this false concept has placed stultifying limitations on the range of human relationships. We’re told that friendships between men and women are just a cover until they leap into the sack together. While romance is a natural and a commendable expression of love between women and men, it is simply not the only option. And in our sexually competitive climate, even romantic love barely deserves the title. Virginity among those seeking marital love would go far to improve the latter’s solidity and permanence, creating an atmosphere of honesty and discovery before the equally necessary and longed-for consummation. Where feminism sees freedom from men by placing body parts at their disposal in a bizarre game of self-deception, virginity recognizes the equally vulnerable though often overlooked state of men’s own hearts and seeks a way to love them for real.
It is puzzling and disturbing to me that regnant feminism has never acknowledged the empowering value of virginity. I tend to think that much of the feminist agenda is more invested in the culture of groundless autonomy and sexual Darwinism than it is in genuinely uplifting women. Of course, virginity is a battle against sexual temptation, and popular culture always opts for the easy way out instead of the character-building struggle. The result is superficial women formed by meaningless choices, worthy of stereotype, rather than laudable women of character, worthy of respect.
Preparing for Love:
Perhaps virginity seems a bit cold, even haughty and heartless. But virginity hardly has exclusive claim on those defects, if it has any claim at all. Promiscuity offers a significantly worse fate. I have a very dear friend who, sadly, is more wordly-wise than I am. By libertine feminist standards she ought to be proud of her conquests and ready for more, but frequently she isn’t. The most telling insight about the shambles of her heart came to me once in a phone conversation when we were speculating about our futures. Generally they are filled with exotic travel and adventure and Ph.D.s. This time, however, they were not. She admitted to me that what she really wanted was to be living on a farm in rural Connecticut, raising a horde of children and embroidering tea towels. It is a lovely dream, defiantly unambitious and domestic. But her short, failed sexual relationships haven’t taken her any closer to her dream and have left her little hope that she’ll ever attain it. I must be honest here: virginity hasn’t landed me on a farm in rural Connecticut, either. Sexual innocence is not a guarantee against heartbreak. But there is a crucial difference: I haven’t lost a part of myself to someone who has subsequently spurned it, rejected it, and perhaps never cared for it at all.
I sincerely hope that virginity will not be a lifetime project for me. Quite the contrary, my subversive commitment to virginity serves as preparation for another commitment, for loving one man completely and exclusively. Admittedly, there is a minor frustration in my love: I haven’t met the man yet (at least, not to my knowledge). But hope, which does not disappoint, sustains me.
04 October 2007
The big, bad "D" word
Don't worry, I'm not talking about anything that would have gotten your mouth washed out as a kid. The topic is discipline. I'll be quoting the apostle Paul quite a bit in this note, since he had tons to say about the topic. First, I will discuss the necessity of discipline as it pertains to life in general. Then, and much more importantly, how discipline pertains to our walk with Christ. Let's go...
I'm going to break up the discipline we need to practice and instill in our daily lives into 3 categories: words, thoughts and actions. Every aspect of our day falls into one of these buckets.
Words: Practicing discipline with our words is paramountly important. One of the quickest ways to get yourself in trouble is to lose control of your tongue with a person or in a situation. James 1:19 puts it quite plainly, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." God gave us 2 ears and only 1 mouth. Maybe we should take that as a hint and practice listening more. Besides, asking pointed questions and investing in people's lives by just listening to them is an invaluable way to show Christ's loves to the world.
I'm the chief of sinners when it comes to this next point. God has really convicted me of speaking flippantly and thoughtlessly. Proverbs 10:19 pins me to the wall..."When words are many, sin is not absent." Speaking thoughtlessly can cause plenty of undue embarrassment, hurt feelings, relational consequences, etc. Proverbs 12:18, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." As followers of Christ, we have an obligation to be disciplined in the words we allow to come out of our mouth. We will be held accountable for each and every one of them when we stand before God's throne on the day of judgment. King David echoes this sentiment with his prayer, "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight oh, Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer." - Psalm 19:14.
Thoughts: This is an area where I believe Satan has a hay day with the body of Christ. Disciplining our mind is probably the most difficult and lifelong struggle we will ever face. The mind holds all the humanity and sin that pursuing a life that honors God tries to suppress. 2 Cor. 10:5, "...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." There are an infinite number of ways that your mind can lead your astray and cause trouble in your life and the lives of those around you. We as believers are called to submit our minds to the authority of Almighty God. As men specifically, the largest area of struggle comes with women. We as men must foresee this attack and be ready for it. No one said living a life devoted to Christ was easy, but it is possible with His help. Paul encourages us in 1 Cor. 9:27, "No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." Disciplining our thought patterns is possible, my friends. Once you have reigned in your mind, the body will follow with much greater ease.
Actions: Alright, now we come to the big one. Words and thoughts find their culmination in actions. Disciplining our actions is massively important. Losing focus in this area is the one of the quickest ways to lose your witness with the world. We have to stay on our game. Practically speaking, having our standards set in concrete right now is a great idea. Creating a set of expectations for daily life will make things easier. Get a daily planner and keep it full. Make a schedule of the day's requirements and stick to it. Work comes before play, people. It's definitely not any fun, but being disciplined requires it. Success only comes to those who set a goal and are disciplined to work diligently towards that goal, whatever it may be.
Paul tells us of his struggles to life righteously in Romans 7:15-24, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
I find this passage to be incredibly encouraging! If Paul, one of the spiritual giants of the Bible faced these kinds of struggle...it makes all my trials seem much more bearable. We can learn a lot from how he approaches trials. Disciplining our mouth, mind and bodies just makes life go smoother. Even more importantly, it brings more honor and glory to our God.
Discipline as it pertains to the Christian walk:
Discipline when it comes to our relationship with God and Jesus is such a sweet thing. It's how you get past the baby Christian stages where you're simply learning the information and beginning to understand the who, what, where and when of the gospel and Jesus Himself. It's only through disciplined study of the scriptures and of the man Jesus that we can begin to really experience what the Christian walk is all about. It's not a bunch of regulations and rules set in place only for the sake of controlling us and turning us into well-behaved drones. Christianity is supposed to be an intimate, passionate vibrant relationship between us and the Creator of the universe, Almighty God, and His Son Jesus. This is all quite something to wrap your head around...but we can only get to this point through spiritual discipline.
It's really this simple, my friends. You have to treat your relationship with God like it's a marriage. You have to spend quality time with Him as much as humanly possible. Get to know Him intimately, through His word and through quality prayer time. You must get to the point that Christianity ceases to be something you should do and becomes something you do. Just do it. There has to be a transition made where we stop thinking about the actions that pertain to God as "have-to's" and "need-to's" and they become "want-to's" and "get-to's". It all sounds very Pine Covey, but it's really just a matter of perspective. Showing discipline to wake up early consistently, just so you and God can share some quality time together before the day gets in the way is essential. If you're not a morning person, then set aside some time each night before bed where you and God get time alone together. He is a jealous God, He desires our focus and our attention. Taking an intentional and deliberate approach to our relationship with our Heavenly Father is the only way it's going to work. We all know how things get if we don't create time for God. He doesn't get any time or focus at all. Life gets in the way.
Satan doesn't have to cause us to sin to render us useless for God's work. All he has to do is take our focus off of God and His plans. My friends, disciplining ourselves to consistently do God-stuff is an absolute must if we are to bring Him glory and fulfill our purpose for existing. Being undisciplined is like a train that jumps the track, a ski boat that leaves Line 1 and ventures into open and uncharted waters. The train isn't fulfilling its purpose, neither is the ski boat. My friends, our Heavenly Father stands ready and waiting to pour out all the good things He has for us. But first, He demands our attention.
Make time today for your creator. Crack open the Bible and read a couple chapters in 1 Corinthians or 1 Peter or James. Just get in the word and let God speak to you. Push out the world for a little bit and just have some quality conversation with your Savior.
Practicing discipline requires tremendous maturity and dedication. You will face difficulties unlike any other. However, you will learn so much about your Creator and His glory and majesty that it will all be worth it.
My friends, my heart yearns to know my God more intimately, and to become more like Jesus Christ each day. I stumble all the time, just like we all do. It's by God's grace and mercy alone that you and I can climb this mountain and practice discipline each day.
Remember: One day, one hour, one second, one task, one struggle, one thing at a time. Give it to God. Submit yourself to His authority and let His infinite power provide the strength to develop discipline in your life. Go. Get out there and live the life you were meant to live!
Be blessed...
I'm going to break up the discipline we need to practice and instill in our daily lives into 3 categories: words, thoughts and actions. Every aspect of our day falls into one of these buckets.
Words: Practicing discipline with our words is paramountly important. One of the quickest ways to get yourself in trouble is to lose control of your tongue with a person or in a situation. James 1:19 puts it quite plainly, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." God gave us 2 ears and only 1 mouth. Maybe we should take that as a hint and practice listening more. Besides, asking pointed questions and investing in people's lives by just listening to them is an invaluable way to show Christ's loves to the world.
I'm the chief of sinners when it comes to this next point. God has really convicted me of speaking flippantly and thoughtlessly. Proverbs 10:19 pins me to the wall..."When words are many, sin is not absent." Speaking thoughtlessly can cause plenty of undue embarrassment, hurt feelings, relational consequences, etc. Proverbs 12:18, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." As followers of Christ, we have an obligation to be disciplined in the words we allow to come out of our mouth. We will be held accountable for each and every one of them when we stand before God's throne on the day of judgment. King David echoes this sentiment with his prayer, "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight oh, Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer." - Psalm 19:14.
Thoughts: This is an area where I believe Satan has a hay day with the body of Christ. Disciplining our mind is probably the most difficult and lifelong struggle we will ever face. The mind holds all the humanity and sin that pursuing a life that honors God tries to suppress. 2 Cor. 10:5, "...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." There are an infinite number of ways that your mind can lead your astray and cause trouble in your life and the lives of those around you. We as believers are called to submit our minds to the authority of Almighty God. As men specifically, the largest area of struggle comes with women. We as men must foresee this attack and be ready for it. No one said living a life devoted to Christ was easy, but it is possible with His help. Paul encourages us in 1 Cor. 9:27, "No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." Disciplining our thought patterns is possible, my friends. Once you have reigned in your mind, the body will follow with much greater ease.
Actions: Alright, now we come to the big one. Words and thoughts find their culmination in actions. Disciplining our actions is massively important. Losing focus in this area is the one of the quickest ways to lose your witness with the world. We have to stay on our game. Practically speaking, having our standards set in concrete right now is a great idea. Creating a set of expectations for daily life will make things easier. Get a daily planner and keep it full. Make a schedule of the day's requirements and stick to it. Work comes before play, people. It's definitely not any fun, but being disciplined requires it. Success only comes to those who set a goal and are disciplined to work diligently towards that goal, whatever it may be.
Paul tells us of his struggles to life righteously in Romans 7:15-24, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
I find this passage to be incredibly encouraging! If Paul, one of the spiritual giants of the Bible faced these kinds of struggle...it makes all my trials seem much more bearable. We can learn a lot from how he approaches trials. Disciplining our mouth, mind and bodies just makes life go smoother. Even more importantly, it brings more honor and glory to our God.
Discipline as it pertains to the Christian walk:
Discipline when it comes to our relationship with God and Jesus is such a sweet thing. It's how you get past the baby Christian stages where you're simply learning the information and beginning to understand the who, what, where and when of the gospel and Jesus Himself. It's only through disciplined study of the scriptures and of the man Jesus that we can begin to really experience what the Christian walk is all about. It's not a bunch of regulations and rules set in place only for the sake of controlling us and turning us into well-behaved drones. Christianity is supposed to be an intimate, passionate vibrant relationship between us and the Creator of the universe, Almighty God, and His Son Jesus. This is all quite something to wrap your head around...but we can only get to this point through spiritual discipline.
It's really this simple, my friends. You have to treat your relationship with God like it's a marriage. You have to spend quality time with Him as much as humanly possible. Get to know Him intimately, through His word and through quality prayer time. You must get to the point that Christianity ceases to be something you should do and becomes something you do. Just do it. There has to be a transition made where we stop thinking about the actions that pertain to God as "have-to's" and "need-to's" and they become "want-to's" and "get-to's". It all sounds very Pine Covey, but it's really just a matter of perspective. Showing discipline to wake up early consistently, just so you and God can share some quality time together before the day gets in the way is essential. If you're not a morning person, then set aside some time each night before bed where you and God get time alone together. He is a jealous God, He desires our focus and our attention. Taking an intentional and deliberate approach to our relationship with our Heavenly Father is the only way it's going to work. We all know how things get if we don't create time for God. He doesn't get any time or focus at all. Life gets in the way.
Satan doesn't have to cause us to sin to render us useless for God's work. All he has to do is take our focus off of God and His plans. My friends, disciplining ourselves to consistently do God-stuff is an absolute must if we are to bring Him glory and fulfill our purpose for existing. Being undisciplined is like a train that jumps the track, a ski boat that leaves Line 1 and ventures into open and uncharted waters. The train isn't fulfilling its purpose, neither is the ski boat. My friends, our Heavenly Father stands ready and waiting to pour out all the good things He has for us. But first, He demands our attention.
Make time today for your creator. Crack open the Bible and read a couple chapters in 1 Corinthians or 1 Peter or James. Just get in the word and let God speak to you. Push out the world for a little bit and just have some quality conversation with your Savior.
Practicing discipline requires tremendous maturity and dedication. You will face difficulties unlike any other. However, you will learn so much about your Creator and His glory and majesty that it will all be worth it.
My friends, my heart yearns to know my God more intimately, and to become more like Jesus Christ each day. I stumble all the time, just like we all do. It's by God's grace and mercy alone that you and I can climb this mountain and practice discipline each day.
Remember: One day, one hour, one second, one task, one struggle, one thing at a time. Give it to God. Submit yourself to His authority and let His infinite power provide the strength to develop discipline in your life. Go. Get out there and live the life you were meant to live!
Be blessed...
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