Things left untended fall into disarray and/or to disintegrate. My lawn is a simple example. If I want it to be attractive, I must give attention to the weeds and grass on a weekly basis! Your home quickly becomes a mess unless there is constant daily attention given to keeping things picked up, put away, and cleaned up! That is especially true if you have several children. Your car will run without maintenance for a while, but if you fail to do regular oil changes and other routine repairs, it will eventually break down, leaving you stranded along a road - probably at the most inconvenient time. Each of those illustrations is easily understood, right? We know the necessity of being attentive to the details if we want to impose order on the natural chaos of life.
Now, let's turn our attention to more important issues of life! Do you have an orderly mind, a disciplined heart? Does life just happen to you or do you set an agenda and live with purpose? Yes, I know - we cannot control everything! There are unexpected events that come from nowhere to disrupt our plans. But if we have imposed order on our lives through daily discipline, we will be more prepared to deal with the surprises visited on us. The Psalmist prays, "Teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, NKJV) What's his request? For a sense of the brevity of life, that will press us on the need to do what we need to do now.
Believers truly do want to become mature persons of faith. That will not just happen. Great faith emerges from study of Scripture that lays a foundation that will support our choice to trust God. Great faith develops in the decision to obey God in the small things so that we will learn to obey Him in the crisis moment!
Believers want to pass along their faith in Christ to the next generation, but it won't just happen. Deuteronomy tells us to "Repeat (God's commands) again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders." (Deuteronomy 6:6-8, NLT) Be intentional about applying God's truth to life, all the time, everywhere, so that your children learn the Way. Some seem to think that 2 hours on Sunday morning is the 'end-all' and 'be-all' of passing the faith along, only to be terribly distressed when their teen-age son decides to toss the "hobby of Christianity" (that's how he sees an unapplied faith) on the junk heap so he can pursue a passion for sports or cars. They failed to plan for the result they desired.
Most Believers want to overcome sin in their lives, but if they are not intent on pursuing God, that goal will just be a fantasy! Jesus urges us to "deny yourself and take up your cross." (Mark 8.34) A holy life, that pleases God, grows out of daily worship and saying "No," to the desires of our sinful nature in the small, seemingly inconsequential things, which allows the Spirit to grow strong character and genuine spiritual fruit in our lives.
Christian, two extremes tend to attract us. At one extreme, we assume all the responsibility for living a life that is pleasing to God, creating crushing burdens of perfectionism for ourselves. Such persons become obsessed with the rules and religion to an extent that they become slaves to the Law, living without joy, and often in the grip of hypocrisy. At the other extreme, we become irresponsible, claiming that the Spirit will do all the work for us. Those Believers accomplish little for God because their lives are marked by chaos, by chasing one spiritual high after another. They lack sustained discipline that allows for growth and greatness.
God, through Christ Jesus, has set us free from sin. He gives us life in the Spirit. And He tells us to "Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear." (Philippians 2:12, NLT) We must cooperate with the Spirit to impose order on our minds and hearts, making the daily decisions that keeps the chaos of sin from creating so much clutter that we cannot experience the flow of the Spirit's grace and gifts.
Here's a practical word from the Word. Prayerfully read it, understanding that it is not a suggestion, but a Divine Imperative.
"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.
Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing.
Then the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:8-9, NLT)
____________________
Lord God, I desire that my life will be a beautiful garden-
filled with the fruit of the Spirit-
holy and pleasing in Your sight;
that reflects the Order of Your Holy Nature.
Help me to make the choice, today;
to follow You, to say "yes" to the Spirit.
Renew the passion for godliness in me.
Help me to choose wisely the places
where my thoughts linger,
to discipline my mind and heart to remain in the Light,
so that Your will becomes my delight.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
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