Recently our men's fellowship group has been reading the book "Disciplines Of A Godly Man" by R. Kent Hughes. While this has been an old favorite of mine, each time I pick it back up I am challenged by the topic all over again. While many see the spiritual disciples as a "as I have time" kinda thing, I am of the opinion that God's Word instructs us to have a directed spiritual life. Jesus calls us to follow Him and the primary path of discipleship is to be directed with a goal in mind. The goal is to experience all that we have been given in Christ and to be used in the lives of others.
I am reminded of how when I would go surfing my lifestyle would either help or hinder my performance upon the waves. I could always surf when the size was three to four feet. But if I had been staying too long at the dinner table and sitting around watching too much TV then when the waves were six to ten feet I would not be ready and barley make it out past the impact zone (beyond where the waves break).
I learned some hard lessons when the surf was big. One of them was that you need a life of preparation to be ready for strenuous situations. In following Christ, spiritual disciplines will prepare us for challenging situations where God is needing a prepared servant. I always wished I had been in better shape when the surf was pumping and that motivated me to prepare even when I wasn't in the water... Spiritually I know discipline in following Christ will change my everyday life, and when the waves of life get a bit bigger....
Recently our men's fellowship group has been reading the book "Disciplines Of A Godly Man" by R. Kent Hughes. While this has been an old favorite of mine, each time I pick it back up I am challenged by the topic all over again. While many see the spiritual disciples as a "as I have time" kinda thing, I am of the opinion that God's Word instructs us to have a directed spiritual life. Jesus calls us to follow Him and the primary path of discipleship is to be directed with a goal in mind. The goal is to experience all that we have been given in Christ and to be used in the lives of others.
I am reminded of how when I would go surfing my lifestyle would either help or hinder my performance upon the waves. I could always surf when the size was three to four feet. But if I had been staying too long at the dinner table and sitting around watching too much TV then when the waves were six to ten feet I would not be ready and barley make it out past the impact zone (beyond where the waves break). 
I learned some hard lessons when the surf was big. One of them was that you need a life of preparation to be ready for strenuous situations. In following Christ, spiritual disciplines will prepare us for challenging situations where God is needing a prepared servant. I always wished I had been in better shape when the surf was pumping and that motivated me to prepare even when I wasn't in the water... Spiritually I know discipline in following Christ will change my everyday life, and when the waves of life get a bit bigger....
1 comment:
That was a good story. I can identify with it. Many times I have been a backslider in my walk with Jesus. Then life would throw me a challenge and instead of being knocked down, I would be knocked down AND completely eviscerated because I had lost touch with Jesus. On top of that, I would turn to the world for comfort instead of Him. Also, I sometimes felt as though I was entitled to engage in sinful behavior because I had been through such a hard time. After God miraculously healed my dog/best friend this summer (which I should probably write my own blog about, it is an amazing story) I knew then I would never let myself slide back. But I also know how easy it can be to slowly drift away when the world and most people you know are screaming the opposite message of God; often a "new age" theology that SOUNDS harmless and often helpful; but is not of God. I knew I had to take concious steps behind Jesus' to stay on his path. I read something recently that I wish I had read years ago...It was something like: "Everybody has problems in this life. Your problems will either lead you closer to God or move you further away from him." Amen!
So now I am preparing myself, like you wrote. I don't want a wave to come crashing down on me and wish that I had prepared my spiritual body.
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