Do Not Depart

Encouragement and Tools to Abide in God's Word

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God Said It … Do I Believe That’s Enough?

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May I just begin by saying I am not a biblical scholar nor a theologian?  I confess that when Sandra sent out the list of topics for this month my first response was, “I am not qualified to write about a single one of these!”   I finally asked for the simplest ones … and even with these “easy” doctrinal issues, I still feel in way over my head.

So, if you were tempted to skip this month on Scripture Dig, I can totally understand why!   It seems overwhelming to contemplate “doctrine.”   But, please don’t miss these posts!  We want to give you (me!) some basic understanding of what can be complex ideas and, as Sandra explained so well yesterday – our doctrine affects everything else we do.

Our doctrine for today is … inerrancy.

You might have heard this word in sermons.   I grew up hearing a pithy sound bite concerning the accuracy of God’s Word, “God said it.  I believe it.  That settles it.”     However, that overused statement is actually two sentences too long.   Inerrancy is rooted in one simple truth:  God said it.

Inerrancy:  Free from error; infallible.  {dictionary.com}

Regarding Scriptural inerrancy I found this definition most understandable:

By this word we mean that the Scriptures possess the quality of freedom from error. They are exempt from the liability to mistake, incapable of error. In all their teachings they are in perfect accord with the truth. {E. J. Young, Thy Word is Truth, 113}

The apostle Paul explains this idea to Timothy this way:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.  {2 Timothy 3:16, ESV emphasis added}

Quite simply, the inerrancy of the Bible is the solid foundation for all our other doctrines. That God’s Word is breathed out by Him, entirely inspired by Him, is absolutely necessary!  If the accuracy of the Bible is in question, then beliefs such as redemption, salvation, holiness of God, the Trinity … all of the other doctrines we espouse are rooted in error.

Our first doctrine must be that God’s Word, our Bible, is entirely true, free from error … breathed out and inspired by Him and brought to us through His power.

What is your understanding of biblical inerrancy and why do you think it does or doesn’t matter?

Recommended Reading:

What Does It Mean that the Bible is Inerrant, or without Error?

Does God Really Say to Stone our Kids?

Scripture Dig posts on Bible Basics

 

So What Doctrines in February

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John Piper writes, “Wimpy theology makes wimpy women.” Because we here at Scripture Dig agree with him, we’re tackling a deep topic this month–doctrine.

Even though you  may not use the word “doctrine” every day, your doctrine affects you every day. Your doctrine of Scripture is evident when you spend time in His Word. Your doctrine of church is obvious when you make it a priority to join with fellow believers each week. Your doctrine of grace flows from your lips when you discipline your children or interact with your coworkers. Your doctrine matters.

In February we will be discussing the doctrines of God, the Bible, Christ, the Holy Spirit, humanity, and salvation. We’ve titled this study “So What Doctrines.” We want to show how what you believe is evident in what you do, say, believe, and how you act.

We want to be faithful to the command Paul gave Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, as a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

We, friends, are theologians. We study God. We study doctrine. We are not wimpy women. We hope you will join us this month as we continue to dig deeper, think through our beliefs, and fall deeper in love with God our Father.

Let’s Celebrate

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After several minutes of spontaneous clapping, cheering, hugging, and even jumping up and down, a reverential hush fell over those of us packed into the small sanctuary. God had done it! He had provided abundantly more than we could even think or imagine.

God had led our small, but quickly growing congregation to embark on a new building project. We needed a pretty large sum of money to get started. Our church, in a small town outside Calgary, Alberta, included many seminary students and young families. Very few members really had any money, yet we stepped out in obedience.

We set a “loaves and fishes” date. The church would bring their offerings – money and pledges – and lay them on the altar. Then we would share a meal together while the offerings were counted. Children drug sacks of coins down the aisle, others committed their Christmas or vacation money, some gave education savings, but all gave. Even though the church gave sacrificially, logically there was no way we could give enough. But we stepped out in obedience and trusted God to provide.

We gathered after dinner to hear the report. When the pastor shared the amount of the offering the church verbally and physically celebrated over the amazing thing God had done. And when the awe of our incredible God came over us, worship joined our celebration.

To be honest, I never thought of celebration as a spiritual discipline until reading Richard Fosters Celebration of Discipline. Foster says:

“joy is the end result of the Spiritual Disciplines’ functioning in our lives.”

God’s transforming work produces joy in our lives. So, we will experience it as we obediently practice the spiritual disciplines.

However, joy or celebration is also itself a spiritual discipline. God commands us to be joyful. (See Philippians 4:4-9.) Those of us who have been redeemed have much to rejoice about. Celebrating what God has done for us honors Him and acknowledges His mercy towards us. We do not deserve what He has given us but still He lavishly poured out every spiritual blessing in Christ.

The ancient Israelites had regular celebrations to give God thanks for all He had done and provided. These kinds of celebrations not only turned their hearts toward God, it pointed others to Him as well. Today, we don’t always celebrate enough. It’s okay to let loose and celebrate all God has done! Sing, cheer, and clap. Applaud the One who is worthy of our praise.

Our small church in Alberta, Canada had reason to celebrate. God had blessed our obedience. And celebrate we did! We also told others about God’s goodness and many joined in our joy resulting in more glory to God.

Do you have something to celebrate today? How can you celebrate God and what He has done in your church and in your life?

The Discipline of Disciple-ing

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I used to think the life of a nun in a silent monastery was pretty appealing. Nothing but praying, reading, studying, sleeping, and eating. A smile each day to my silent sisters, but then back to our Bibles!

But that’s not God’s plan for our lives. That wasn’t the model of the first generations of Christians. The book of Acts says the first church members hung out every day (Acts 2:46-47). They did life together. We continue to do life with other believers. So how do we do life together? Why does God call us to communities of Christians (the church)?

The answer is the answer to most questions about God’s purpose–for our sanctification and His glory. He is molding us into the image of His Son. And like Christ, we are called to encourage, edify, and equip others. It is the discipline of guidance, or as Teri Lynne explained it to me in an email discussion, the discipline of disciple-ing.

In your church, there are members whose “job” it is to disciple, your pastor, ministry staff,  Sunday School teachers and small group leaders. But as a believer it’s also your “job” to disciple and be discipled.

  • Hebrews 3:13, “Exhort one another every day…”
  • Galatians 6:1-2, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens.”
  • Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.”
  • Romans 15:1-2, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”
  • 1 Corinthians 16:14, “Let all that you do be done in love.”
  • And the most direct to us as women, Titus 2:3-5, “Older women….are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their husbands, that the Word of God may not be reviled.”

Scripture is clear–we responsible for each other, to encourage and also to correct. We don’t do this on our own. 2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” When we are obedient to disciple others, we do so with His power. All things that pertain to life and godliness are found in His Word. When we counsel people with His Word, we cannot go wrong.

Let’s get personal now. Do you have people in your life who will tell you the truth? Who will point to Scripture to encourage you? To correct you? If not, look at yourself first. Do you not take criticism well? Are you too prideful to listen to the advice of a friend? Have you been hurt in the past and in an effort to protect yourself, you don’t let anyone get close enough to encourage or correct you? Are you being discipled? Prayerfully answer those questions. Then prayerfully look for a woman who will disciple you. It’s not east to put yourself “out there.” But as we have seen, we are to live life together.

If you can name one (or five) friends life who disciple you, it’s time to find someone for you to disciple. As Titus 2:3-5 tells us, it is expected. You are “an older woman” to someone. Look for someone in a different life stage than you are in to get to know. I call this “organic mentoring“–natural friendships that become disciple-ing opportunities. (As Erin Davis at True Woman Blog says never grocery shop alone!)

At the end of the day, I’m glad I’m not a silent nun in a solitary place. I’m smack dab in the middle of life. I have older women who model godliness for me. I have friends who encourage and correct me. And I have younger women who call me (ok, so really they text me or send me a message on Facebook) for advice.  The discipline of  guidance isn’t always easy (to give or get), but it is worth it for the ultimate goal of all the spiritual disciplines–to grow in godliness.

Recognizing and Responding to Who God Really Is

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The Bible is full of references to worship. Narrative accounts of individuals and groups offering worship to God. Commands to worship. Instructions for how and where to worship. The Psalms brim with references to praising and worshiping God… and yet we often seem to have a very fuzzy, if not distorted, understanding of what worship really is.

The word “Worship” is used 13 times in the Psalms.

  • The Hebrew word “Sachah” is used 12 of the 13 times – it means ‘to prostrate oneself (in homage to royalty or to God), to bow oneself down as an act of respect before a superior being. It meant to honor God with prayers, even without prostration of the body. However, those who used this mode of salutation often fell upon their knees and touched the ground with their foreheads. In short, it was a way of showing submission.’
  • The Hebrew word “Abad” is used once, and carries the idea of serving a master.

From Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Worship is described as “both an attitude and an act.” Referring to Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well in John 4, it goes on to say,

All true worshipers must worship God in “spirit and in truth.” That is, true worship takes place on the inside, in the heart or spirit of the worshiper (cf. Psalm 45:1; 103:1-2). Worship pleasing to God must be unfeigned and transparent, offered with a humble and pure heart (Psalm 24:3-4; Isa 66:2).

But this is not enough. Worship “in truth” connects the heart or spirit of worship with the truth about God and his work of redemption as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and the Scriptures. David understood the importance of worshiping in truth and the necessary linkage between “truth” and the Word of God when he wrote, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear [i.e., worship] your name” (Psalm 86:11; cf. Psalm 145:18). Here both the Old and New Covenants agree! The true worship of God is essentially internal, a matter of the heart and spirit rooted in the knowledge of and obedience to the revealed Word of God.

In my words, I like to define worship as recognizing and responding to Who God really is.

We often think of worship as an experience, a feeling, a service we attend. Worship is much, much more than that. Worship begins as I understand truth about my God – as I study His Word, as I walk with Him and learn more of who He is and what He has done. As I learn more of Him, an attitude forms in my heart – an attitude of reverence, of submission, of humility and awe in His presence. True worship then turns this attitude into an act. I bow myself before Him, internally and possibly even externally, I offer Him myself as a sacrifice and obey Him!

What does this look like? In Celebration if Discipline, Foster suggests some steps into worship that are challenging to me. Consider with me how we might:

  • Learn to practice the presence of God daily. Pray continually throughout our days. Make a conscious effort to praise, thank, adore Him in the quietness of our hearts. Foster says, “All this will heighten your expectancy in public worship because the gathered experience of worship just becomes a continuation and an intensification of what you have been trying to do all week long.” Ann Voskamp continually challenges me along these lines – she has so much encouragement on her site if you struggle with this like I do!
  • Prepare ourselves for large-group worship. How often do we drag through the church doors on Sunday morning tired from staying up far too late the night before, distracted by rushing around finding missing kids’ shoes, frustrated by conflict with our spouse on the way? How much more would God move in our midst if we took the time to really prepare ourselves to worship with the Body, to treat that time as a truly sacred hour that must not be rushed through or slapped together haphazardly that day?
  • Get our eyes off of ourselves, our tastes, our preferences in corporate worship. Foster points out, “as an individual I must learn to let go of my agenda, of my concern, of my being blessed, of my hearing the word of God. The language of the gathered fellowship is not ‘I,’ but ‘we.’ There is a submission to the ways of God. There is a submission to one another in the Christian fellowship.” He challenges that we should accept even distractions and interruptions and give them back to God in praise rather than allowing them to cause us to be anxious and put off.
  • Understand that worship is an act of sacrifice. Sometimes we just don’t feel like it. Remember that worship is not about us and how we feel – it is about who God is and how worthy He is of our adoration and submission! No matter how I might feel, God is no less deserving of my attitude and act of worship both individually and corporately.

Are there certain habits or practices that have helped you focus on worship as an attitude rooted in Truth and an act of submission before Him?

Tell Each Other What?

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Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. James 5:16 ESV

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5 ESV

The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works. Augustine of Hippo

 

Corporate Disciplines … spiritual practices exercised within the Body of believers.   Those habits and methods that grow us together to function in unity.    And we start with Confession.

Confession:  (n) acknowledgment, avowal; admission.  {from Dictionary.com}

Why is it necessary to engage in corporate confession?

I love what Richard Foster says about this in Celebration of Discipline:

But if we know that the people of God are first a fellowship of sinners, we are freed to hear the unconditional call of God’s love and to confess our needs openly before our brothers and sisters.  We know we are not alone in our sin.   The fear and pride that cling to us like barnacles cling to others also.  We are sinners together.  In acts of mutual confession we release the power that heals.  Our humanity is no longer denied, but transformed.  (145-146)

We need to confess to one another … not for redemption or absolution, but for healing! It is in sharing our failures – as well as our successes – that we are bound together in the depth of His grace.   And it is in receiving the sincere confession of others and offering our willing voices of grace and counsel without judgment or condemnation that we experience the fullness of bearing one another’s burdens.

It’s a scary thought, though, to look someone else in the eyes and confess the blackness of our hearts.   Opening ourselves up to that level of vulnerability forces us to assume a great risk.    Equally hazardous to our hearts is the hearing of another’s vulnerabilities and sins.

So how does this Discipline of Confession work?

  1. Discernment is vital! We do not confess to one another randomly or without great prayer beforehand.   Generally speaking, confession as a discipline functions best within the framework of a mentoring, discipling relationship.
  2. When we confess, we are specific … and when we pray over one another, we do not add to nor take away from the confession that has been offered.  Honesty is necessary for a sincere confession.  HOWEVER, this is not a time for unnecessary explanation or gratuitous details.
  3. Like fasting, confession is not commanded. We offer you information about these Disciplines not to add burden to your faith.   Rather, as with fasting, confession to one another is discussed in Scripture and therefore is a topic we must explore and seek the will of God in our own lives.

Exercising the disciplines of fellowship and confession will take us into relationships and situations that will challenge our faith and test our love for God and his people.  It is good to remember that God gave us these disciplines to aid us in our growth toward Christlikeness … they are aids for training us to live free of artiface and bondage to appearances. {Jan Winebrenner, Intimate Faith: A Woman’s Guide to the Spiritual Disciplines}

Perhaps you have experienced the grace found in confessing both to God and to another the burden of sin in your life … maybe you have difficulty believing the fullness of God’s mercy and grace and living in the freedom of His forgiveness … or maybe you struggle with being open with others about the sin in your life … the Discipline of Confession can be a powerful tool in our spiritual formation.

What are your experiences with confession to or from others?

How have you seen it benefit or harm the Body?

Image by:  suds4565


The Corporate Disciplines – Doing Life Together

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As we enter our last week of study on the Spiritual Disciplines, we look at those that involve the Body.   These last Disciplines are certainly to be practiced privately but they are also to be shared practices.

 

Why does it matter if we practice these Disciplines in the collective?  What difference does it make? This week we will explore Confession, Worship, Guidance, and Celebration … visible, audible, hands-on, feet-to-the-pavement putting into practice the foundations laid through the Inward Disciplines of Prayer and Study, Fasting and Meditation, and then nurtured and grown through the Outward Disciplines of Simplicity and Solitude, Submission and Service.

 

These Corporate Disciplines guide us into functioning as the early church … doing life together.   As we learn the richness of Confession and the depth of Worship, the necessity of Guidance and the joy of Celebration, our understanding of the beauty of the Church, the vibrant Body of Christ, will undoubtedly grow and our recognition of our need for fellowship with one another will be increased.

Join us?

Duty or devotion?

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God began softly tapping at my heart early this past year about His call to follow His example and be a servant. So I’ve been praying and watching for opportunities to serve. I’ve even acted on many of them and thanked God for using me. However, God has used my preparation for this post to correct my thinking even more.

There is a difference between doing acts of service and being a servant. The first is accomplished on a case by case basis out of a sense of duty. The second is a life attitude; a change of nature resulting from devotion to Christ.

True discipleship – a life of following Christ – is not simply a set of actions or behavior. True disciples adopt His mindset, His attitudes, His very nature, and then live it out. Jesus was a servant; He did not merely do acts of service. As disciples, we too should be servants by nature, not simply Christians who serve others.

Acts of service are often motivated by a sense of duty. A true servant is motivated by love for Christ. We become servants because Jesus was a servant and calls us to be like Him. We obediently serve because of our love for our Savior and our desire to be like Him.

Jesus clearly defined His role as a servant. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” Matthew 20:26-28. Reflecting on Matthew 20:28 in his classic devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers wrote:

If our devotion is to the cause of humanity, we will be quickly defeated and broken-hearted, since we will often be confronted with a great deal of ingratitude from other people. But if we are motivated by our love for God, no amount of ingratitude will be able to hinder us from serving one another.

The practice of the spiritual discipline of service – literally becoming a servant – positions us to experience tremendous spiritual growth. In her book The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, Quaker Hannah Whitall Smith (1832-1911) wrote:  “There is, perhaps, no part of Christian experience where a greater change occurs, upon entering into this life hid with Christ in God, than in the matter of service.”

Why is that? How does becoming a servant promote such great spiritual growth? Dying to ourselves in order to become slaves of Christ requires that we push aside our pride. And our pride is the source of so much of our sin and disobedience. When we slay our pride in order to become a slave of Christ we defeat one of Satan’s most powerful tactics. Now we are free to live for Christ and others, not for ourselves.

Simply doing acts of service out of human effort can even feed our pride. This kind of service seeks external rewards and grateful acknowledgement. Richard Foster elaborates in his book Celebration of Discipline:

Self-righteous service requires external rewards. It needs to know that people see and appreciate the effort. It seeks human applause – with proper religious modesty of course. True service rests contented in hiddenness… the divine nod of approval is completely sufficient.

When we become a slave to Christ then we become a servant to all. We won’t pick and choose who and when to serve. Our devotion to Christ will guide our service. Our emotions and calendars will not dictate our service. Instead our love for Christ will naturally express itself in service to others. And in that there is freedom. Freedom to love. Freedom to serve.

Am I looking for ways to serve or am I seeking to be a servant? Is my service motivated by duty or devotion?

Find your beach

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I looked past the dunes and saw no one. All alone and amazed by it, I wondered if I was safe.  I expected my family to emerge from the beach grass and ask what was for dinner. It was so strange to be so utterly … alone.  I was tempted to feel empty and lonely.  Instead, God overwhelmed me. I reveled in the chance to pray aloud, to lay in the sand and talk to the Lord, to sing with abandon, and to laugh in enjoyment of His creation and the truths He stirred in my mind. If anyone came to the beach, they must’ve left when they saw what they thought was a crazy woman. It was not loneliness. It was solitude.

 

Finding a deserted beach and hours to drink in the Lord is not common in our day. We must seek solitude.  Jesus made a habit of going to a “lonely place apart” (Matt. 14:13).  Seeking out a solitary place was essential to Jesus’ ministry to people. It’s easy to forge ahead with the “doing,” but even Jesus took time to recharge.  The more filled our lives are with people, the more necessary it is to step aside to find refreshment.


The Discipline of Solitude allows us to:

Release our FEARS ~ Most of us resist being alone, seeking groups and people, instead. When we get alone, we exchange control for putting our TRUST in God. Kristi discussed the part trust plays in Submission yesterday. Getting alone forces us to trust God is sufficient to care for us.  When faced with problems, our instinct is to answer, defend, explain … but silence is the response of a heart  filled with trust, a heart strengthened in the garden of Solitude.

As we discipline ourselves to stop talking, we let God act for us as our Justifier.  Letting go of our modern mindset, craving company and words, it seems natural to open our hands to display our trust in  God, inviting Him to be our only Companion.  When we risk being still, we discover God in a deeper way than while in motion (Psalm 46:10).

Replace our DISTRACTIONS ~ Instead of being swept away be life, Solitude requires the Spirit fruit of self control to be quiet with the Lord. Silence creates emotional and spiritual space. In following Jesus’ pattern of restructuring habits and priorities of mankind, we still the motion of our days. We exchange uncertainty about this life with confidence from being still and knowing He is God.

Ecclesiastes 5:2  “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”

Redeem our TIME ~ It’s not easy to find this place of solitude, but Foster encourages us that solitude is “more a state of mind and heart than it is a place.”  Our minds settle on Him and experience peace that replenishes. Valuing the discipline of Solitude means we create opportunity to hear God and be refreshed by Him.

So where is this beach, so you can go there? God may have a different, better place to meet with you. Sometimes solitude must be captured when & where we least expect it. It can happen anywhere or time, when we redirect the focus of our hearts:

  • Instead of filling 10 minutes in the car line with a phone call, enjoy the solitude. Talk to God aloud or just concentrate on a scripture and be quiet with Him, as He works the Word into your mind.
  • Instead of using that corner chair to pile laundry, make it a special place for solitude.
  • Instead of looking at this weekend and filling it only w/cleaning & kids’ sports, carve out space for solitude. It could be the sweetest time of your weekend and the refill you need to approach next week.

Lost moments are reclaimed.  Sacred places are created.  Meaningful times are experienced.

 

Don’t apologize for being still or silent or embracing sweet solitude. Jesus found refreshing, so He could be a blessing to those around Him.  Sweet things from the Lord await us on the beach!

Unexpected freedom

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Submission. The word chafes. The first occurrence we have of this word in Scripture is surprising. Challenging.

Genesis 16:9 – Then the angel of the LORD told her [Hagar], “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.”

Hagar, young and afraid, alone in the desert. Her abdomen swollen with Abraham’s baby, a baby she never chose to have. Her mistress, Sarai, chose to use her as a baby factory and then sent her into the desert to fend for herself. An angel of the Lord appears to her and says… go back and submit.

Ephesians 5:22 – Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

Oh, that one really hurts. No comment is even necessary.

Hebrews 13:17 – Obey your leaders and submit to their authority.

1 Peter 2:13-14– Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

Obey your leaders. Submit to the king, to the governors, to authorities instituted by men. The original audience who unsealed these words in a handwritten letter were facing vicious persecution. Unwarranted, undeserved, unjust. The divine message to them? Submit.

Why is submission so difficult for us to swallow? To submit to authorities, to submit to leaders, to submit to the government, to submit to our husbands?

In my own personal opinion, one of the root reasons we struggle with this is fear. Fear of having no voice. Fear of decisions being made for us that may not be in what we see as our best interest. We struggle and fight and chafe because our culture’s cry of “this is my right!” beats like a drum in our ears. If we don’t fight for our rights, we will lose them! We need to be independent, defiant, nobody-steps-on-me pillars of strength that no one will mess with. And we are terrified that if we give up this fight we will be in bondage to others forever.

The discipline of submission can be practiced only as we grapple on a deep and very personal level with the sovereignty and authority of our very good and very trustworthy God. I sometimes, often even, do not agree with the government which rules over me. But I am called to submit. I sometimes have not agreed with the authorities over me in my daily life – authorities at church, authorities at work, authorities at school. But I am called to submit. I sometimes do not agree with my husband. But I am called to submit. I sometimes chafe against those around me – but I am called to submit my will out of reverence for Christ.

Submission can be mistaken for bondage. But in this serve-to-become-great, last-is-first economy of God’s kingdom, submission brings us freedom. Freedom from the shouting to have our voice, freedom from kicking against every authority in our lives, freedom from fear.

If I really believe that my God is sovereign, if I really believe that my God is loving, if I really believe that my God is the one who sets up authorities and takes them down, if I really trust Him to be who He says He is, love me like He says He does, plan for my good as He promises to do, I am free. I am free to submit my will to those around me because my value and worth does not come from being heard and being recognized as the one who is right. I am free to voice my opinion respectfully and then obey my authorities because I know that my loving Father is the one who sets kings up and takes them down and holds each day of my life in His hands. I am free to submit to my husband without nagging, without frantically attempting to manipulate him into making the “right” decision; I know that as I rest my hand into the hand of my husband, the hand of our loving Father holds us both.

The discipline of submission – the discipline of choosing to yield my will and stop fighting, stop clamoring to be heard – is a discipline of trust. To the world it looks like bondage, but in the kingdom of God it is freedom.

Trust Him. Yield your will. Stop fighting. And be free.

This post is not intended to deal with abusive situations. TRI-R ministries has a booklet entitled “Submission: Are There Limits?” which you can order here.

They point out that Scriptural submission is voluntary, is ultimately done unto God, has limits, and allows for petition.  Scriptural submission pictures the righteous relationship between Christ and the church.

Victimization is involuntary, is done in the fear of man, has no limits, and pictures Satan’s relationship with his subjects.

Codependency is a response learned as a means to feel needed and self-sacrificing.  It allows women who fear petition and confrontation to avoid it.  Based on fear and insecurity, it is pictured in the relationship of God and the wicked servant with one talent (Matt. 25:24-29)

If you feel that you are being victimized, or that you are in an unhealthy codependent relationship, please seek professional Christian counseling.

Laying Aside Every Weight

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Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,  and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1 ESV (emphasis added)

As we consider briefly the Discipline of Simplicity, I love using Hebrews 12:1 as a framework.   We are called to lay aside every weight, the unnecessary, that keeps us from pursuing life in Christ unencumbered. And, as with so much of our spiritual life … this will look different for each of us.

The legalist in us wants to make this a list of what we must give up.   No cable tv – check.  No eating out – check.  No big house – check.  No new clothes – check.  But simplicity is less about giving up materially and more about growing up spiritually.

The competitor in us would like to measure against someone else.  I have less “stuff” than she does.   We have family game night instead of going to the movies like “them.”  But simplicity is not a competition with others rather it is a cooperation with God.

The attention-seeker in us is desperate for others to notice how “simple” our lives have become and how little we need to make us happy.  But simplicity that is applauded by others is likely not celebrated by the Audience of One.

For some the call of Simplicity will involve decreasing material possessions.  In fact, the abundance of this American Dream in which most of us live may well be the very thing that keeps us from experiencing the abundance of God.   (For more on this idea I highly recommend reading Radical by David Platt.)

Richard Foster says this of simplicity in his book Celebration of Discipline:

Simplicity is the only thing that sufficiently reorients our lives so that possessions can be genuinely enjoyed without destroying us (84).

My “one word” for this year is simple … I have felt a deep longing for simplicity in my heart and life.   Learning to understand what the Lord wants edited out of my life and being content in what remains … materially and otherwise.  I’ve committed myself to laying aside every weight … allowing the Great Physician to remove the unnecessary from my heart, my mind, my possessions.  And so, I write this post not as one who has by any means mastered this Discipline but from a longing to grow in it and experience the deep contentment that comes through it.

Is the Discipline of Simplicity challenging to you?   This week, commit to memory Hebrews 12:1 and ask the Lord what is weighing you down … then agree with Him about the need to eliminate those weights.

{Tomorrow I’m beginning a study of what Foster terms the “ten controlling principles for the outward expression of simplicity” on my blog.   If you want to dig deeper into this Discipline, please feel free to join me for the next ten Wednesdays as we explore one each week.}

The Outward Disciplines

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Simplicity.

Solitude.

Submission.

Service.

The outward disciplines.  So termed because they are easily seen by others.

Last week we examined the inward disciplines, those habits and practices that lay a solid foundation for our pursuit of deeper intimacy with the Lord.   As we invest ourselves into those disciplines that are inward the results will often be evident in the disciplines that are outward.

Which of these outward disciplines are you most challenged by?  Why?

The Discipline of Studying

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Do you find it difficult to study the Word of God? Many people do. Some, because they aren’t sure where to begin, others because it seems too daunting or they think they have to develop the same study patterns as someone else – while still others struggle with the discipline necessary to make it a part of their daily walk.

But if we really understood the power of the Word of God and the benefits that are ours when we invest time in it, it would become more than a spiritual discipline, it would become as necessary to us eating. Job said, “I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.” Job 23:12

Let’s look at “why” before we look at “how.” Perhaps then we will more readily make Bible study a part of our daily spiritual disciplines.

We study the Word of God because:

The Word of God is Living, Powerful & a Discerner of Our Intents and Our Hearts:

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The fact that the Word of God is living means it can actively speak to us where we are – not matter what we are going through -God’s Word can speak to our hearts and give direction to our lives. When we place our thoughts and actions under the microscope of the Word of God, it discerns the intention of what we think and do.

The Word of God Gives Direction:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

As Christians, we aren’t left here on the planet to try to figure out how to do this thing called life on our own. God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to define and direct our lives. When we exercise the spiritual discipline of studying the Word of God we avail ourselves of the light we need for the next step and the next decision. God’s Word sheds light on our circumstances.

The Word of God Keeps Us From Sin:

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11

Sin is not as attractive or as powerful to a woman who has spent time filling her heart and mind with the Word of God. Dwight L. Moody once said, “The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.” The choice is ours.

The Word of God Strengthens Our Faith:

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

Oftentimes, we struggle with life as we know it because we don’t really have the faith necessary to sustain us through difficult days, painful circumstances or trying times. Sometimes, we aren’t sure we can step out in obedience to do what God calls us to because it’s beyond us – more than we think we can handle – or perhaps we think it will cost us more than we’re willing to pay. When we spend time in the Word, it strengthens our faith. It enables us to see our circumstances through the eyes of faith and it gives us the courage to act on it.

The Word of God Helps Us Know the Living God More:

“And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.” 2 Chronicles 31:21

Hezekiah made serving God, knowing and obeying the Word of God and seeking God the priority of his life. God’s Word reveals who God is. Through it, we know Him better, we know how He calls us to live, we are shown what to run to and what to run from. Like Hezekiah, we need to seek God with all of our hearts.

The study of God’s Word is a discipline that benefits us greatly. It grounds us, teaches us, challenges us, directs us and protects us. It gives us wisdom, peace and power – strength, faith and courage. It comforts our hurting hearts and brings clarity to a confusing world. Like Job, we need it more than we need food.

How Do We Study the Word of God?

There are a variety of Bible study plans available, but I’d like to give you a five-step approach to the discipline of studying the Word of God.

1. Define Your Time & Place – Although some spiritual disciplines come more easily for some than others, studying, by its very nature, requires discipline. If you don’t have a time and place, your day slips away and before you know it, your head has hit the pillow and you haven’t even opened the Word of God.

2. Have a Plan – Whether you’re planning on reading through the Bible in a year, two years or three months, have a plan that takes you through the Word of God. Give yourself enough time to not just read it but study it. Research what you don’t know or topics that may deal with your circumstances. Do word searches, topic studies or choose to study a specific book of the Bible. But whatever you do, have a plan.

3. Consider the Context – Context is key. It’s important to know who the Scripture is addressing, why, what were the historical and cultural circumstances and how can it be biblically and accurately applied in our lives.

4. What Is It Saying – Based on the context in which it was written, what is it saying?

5. What Is It Saying to Me & How Can I Apply It – As you study the Word of God, it’s important to remember it’s living. That it’s the primary way God speaks to us. So, ask yourself, what it is saying and how you can apply what it is saying to your life.

The discipline of studying God’s Word is different than the discipline of reading God’s Word. This is your time to dig deeper. You may want to add additional tools for your excavation of the Word. Tools like commentaries, concordances, biblical dictionaries and lexicons.

If you need some additional resources, you can click on the “Resources and References” link at the top of the page or the “Time in the Word” link in the Resources column on the right hand side of the page. You can also click here and read a great post by Teri Lynne on our goals for being in the Word.

As we start this new year digging the disciplines, please remember, the discipline of studying God’s Word will benefit you more than food, itself!

Do you struggle with the discipline of studying? What are you studying? How do you study the Bible?

The Hunger of the Soul

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Image from wikipedia.org

What controls your heart? As human beings, we long for our appetites to be filled. We long to fill our stomachs, we long to be loved, we long for physical intimacy, we long for satisfaction and a feeling of peace; the list is long.

Since that fateful day in the Garden of Eden, Satan has worked in the life of every man and woman to tempt us, to call us to fulfill legitimate needs and desires God Himself placed in our hearts in illegitimate ways. For some this might simply be an unhealthy habit, and for others these things show themselves as full blown addictions.

  • Some long for satisfaction; they begin to use food as their drug of choice, numbing their pain or loneliness with so-called “comfort food.”
  • Some long for love and affirmation; they develop unhealthy and inappropriate relationships, or become addicted to the illusion of fame and influence within the world of social media.
  • Some long to be known, to be appreciated, to be valued, to be touched; they begin to use their bodies to try to win the long-sought love of another person.

Addictions of all kinds are powerful. They temporarily mask the deep hunger of our souls but leave us empty and wanting more. Perhaps neither you nor I have been labeled an “addict,” but I believe we’ve all been there on some level. Our hearts were hungry, and we attempted to fill that need with food, with shopping, with relationships, with chocolate or caffeine… when all along that hunger was meant to point us to the arms of the Father.

Fasting is a powerful form of personal worship that can loosen the bonds we have to these false sources of satisfaction. Fasting is not a dictated, regulated aspect within the New Covenant under Christ – it is a personal act of celebration within our walk with Him, an outgrowth of a desire to grow closer, commune deeper, to walk humbly with our God. It is a time when we focus on filling the deepest longings of our hearts from Him alone.

I appreciate that in his book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster carefully points out that fasting is never commanded in the Bible. However, Jesus’ words of instruction for “when you fast…” (Matthew 6:16) simply assume that we will! In addition, in Matthew 9:15 Jesus answers criticism against his disciples not fasting by saying, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”

Foster states, “There is no way to escape the force of Jesus’ words in this passage. He made it clear that he expected his disciples to fast after he was gone. Although the words are not couched in the form of a command, that is only a semantic technicality. It is clear from this passage that Christ both upheld the Discipline of fasting and anticipated that his followers would do it.” (54)

There are many different kinds of fasts.  You may have heard of people fasting from everything from media to carbohydrates to fasting from solid foods.  If you are new to fasting and not sure where to start, I’d suggest that you think about where you turn when you’re uncomfortable.

If you’re having a rough day, what do you do?

  • Do you have “comfort foods” that you turn to?
  • Do you turn to facebook or twitter to share your frustrations with others online?
  • Do you pick up the phone to call someone?
  • Do you turn on the TV or radio as a distraction?
  • Do you go shopping?

Rather than turning to the Lord at our weakest, most vulnerable moments, do we stuff down our emotions or conviction with food, entertainment, socialization, noise?  How often do we fail to hear Him, fail to receive all that He offers us, because we have settled for a cheap substitute – an idol?

Fasting quiets the noise, the distraction, the cheap substitutes and allows us to learn how to “find rest, O my soul, in God alone.”

A few warnings:

1. DO NOT MAKE THIS LEGALISTIC. You might feel led to give up TV or perhaps fast from food for a set amount of time – and your spouse or friend may not.  That doesn’t mean they are less spiritual. You seek the Lord.  You prayerfully search your heart.  And you ask the Lord: “how can I grow closer to You, commune deeper with You, walk humbly with You?”

2. Fasting is primarily a form of personal worship. While there are times in Scripture when a group or a nation seeks the Lord together in times of corporate fasting and prayer, Jesus warns us in Matthew 6 against making a public spectacle of our fasting.

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18, NIV)

If we are offering our times of fasting to the Lord as a personal act of worship, we should not feel the need to discuss this with others online, announce it or make it obvious to others when we are gathered together socially, or “recruit” others to join us. Even if we are looking for accountability, this should be done quietly and modestly.

3. Fasting is hard and will bring to light ugly and hidden parts of your heart. When we take away those “bandaids” of temporary relief and comfort, however shallow, we find our emotions and frustrations raw with nothing to stuff them down with. Those times of struggle are good if we allow them to drive us to God’s throne. Immerse yourself in prayer, in Scripture, in times of worship and resist the urge to find a new “bandaid!”

Have you found yourself turning to something other than God to fulfill legitimate needs? Have you fasted from those things in the past? How did the fast benefit your spiritual life?

Silence Is Not Prayer

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You can tell what subjects people are passionate about by looking at their books. If you come over and look at my shelf, you will see book after book on prayer. Some of my favorites include The Complete Works of EM Bounds on Prayer, How to Pray by Ronnie Floyd, All the Prayers of the Bible by Herbert Lockyer, and A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller.  You would think after reading all those books on prayer, I’d be an expert. But unfortunately, it’s just the opposite. I read all those books on prayer because I feel so inadequate. And my feelings of inadequacy have led to periods of prayerlessness in my life. But in the last year or so I’ve had some “ah-ha” moments in my prayer life. Realizations that changed my heart.

First, I pray more. In the words of  EM Bounds, “Silence is not prayer.” He goes on to write, “Prayer is asking God for something which we have not, which we desire, and which he has promised to give us in answer to prayer. Prayer is really verbally asking. Words are in prayer. Strong words and true words are found in prayer. Desires in prayer are put in words. The praying one is a pleader.” My passive prayers like “Dear God, please bless so and so…” weren’t going to cut it anymore. If I wanted to feel the power of prayer, the power that changes hearts and lives and circumstances, I would need to realize the power of my words, and use more of them more often.

Second, I pray Scripture. Part of my struggle with prayer was that I felt like it was my will versus God’s will, and I know God’s will always win. So why pray? Well, the quickest and best answer is that we pray because we are commanded to pray. We’re even told to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). So to get over feeling like it was my will vs. God’s will, I put myself on God’s team. I do this using prayer cards. I write names or areas of prayer on index cards and list Scripture verses that apply. For example, I have the names of family members who need salvation, and I pray Romans 10:1 for them, “my heart’s desires and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.” For families I know who are adopting I pray, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised” (Heb. 10:36). For myself I pray, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3). Praying Scripture for people and situations helps me know I’m praying God’s will for them!

Third, I give myself grace. Apart from the focused prayer time I have with my prayer cards, I’ve tried to just relax and let prayer happen. In A Praying Life by Paul Miller writes, “Jesus did not say, ‘Come to me, all you who have learned how to concentrate in prayer, whose minds no longer wander, and I will give you rest.’ No, Jesus opens his arms to his needy children and says, ‘Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28, NASB). The criteria for coming to Jesus is weariness. Come overwhelmed with life. Come with your wandering mind. Come messy” (31-32). I come to prayer like a child–not perfect with all the right words in the perfect posture, but trusting, dependent, and desperate.

My prayer life is certainly an area of potential growth, but God has taught me a lot in the last year. What has God taught you about prayer recently? What works for you in the spiritual discipline of prayer?

Of Baking and Blessing ~ Meditation

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In the first issue of 2011, USA Today reported 90% of the world has access to mobile networks, and 1.8 trillion text messages were sent between June 2009 and June 2010.  Mankind has learned to stay tethered to thoughts and topics at the sound of a ring tone or ping.  We focus on what’s trending, respond on Facebook, Tweet about it, and check back for comments. But meditation as a Biblical, spiritual discipline is nothing like the mindset of our culture. The concentration of our culture is captive to the here and now, instead of the holy.


The Barna Group recently released a study about the faith climate in the US, reporting, “The turbo-charged pace of society leaves people with little time for reflection. The deeper thinking that occurs typically relates to economic concerns or relational pressures. Spiritual practices like contemplation, solitude, silence, and simplicity are rare.”

To know what Biblical meditation IS, it helps to know what it’s NOT:

  • It is NOT empty.  God’s Word is the object.
  • It is NOT extra Biblical. God’s Law produces obedience.
  • IT is NOT an escape. God’s peace and compassion prevail.

Meditation is foreign to the way we do life today. While making bread yesterday, I had to let the yeast work, wait for growth, let the dough rise, and labor for the elasticity of dough ready to bake. Homemade bread is a whole different food than store bought. It can’t be rushed. Meditation takes time to listen, reflect, rehearse, and rework God’s truth in our lives, kneading it into our souls and allowing it to grow and live in our minds and hearts.


Meditation requires:

  • A change of pace – slowing down to allow space and opportunity to consider and reconsider God’s truth and hear His voice.
  • An intentional place – carving out an undisturbed corner, where we push aside the urgent and give attention to the Divine.
  • A humble posture – helping us to get into the mindset of the forgiven and the rescued, to worship the Object of our thoughts.
  • A clear path – instead of wandering or floundering, going to God’s Word that is the lamp to our feet and the light to our path.
  • An attitude of prayer – sweet communication flows out of unbothered moments of absorbing God’s truth and grace, and we can respond to Him in praise and honesty.

The New Age movement gave meditation a bad name among many, but Scripture gives a clear pattern of meditation filled with the One True God, not empty and vulnerable to the Enemy. Jesus went away to be alone and communicate with His Father (Matt. 14:13), and Old Testament saints set a precedent of making time to listen to God.

A pace and place for the posture of meditation is going to be hard to carve out, but our hearts can be that holy place. When we commit to practicing this inner discipline, we can look forward to the protection and peace enjoyed by one who is  “blessed.”

1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. ~ Psalm 1:1-3

One way to meditate today: (I suggest Psalm 1:1-3)

Take one Scripture verse and “tether” yourself to it:  write it on a card, say it aloud every time you wash your hands, look up every word in the dictionary, talk about it out loud in the car, tell someone else about it today, pray it back to the Lord, email someone what it means to you, sing it as you work, and find a quiet place to slow your pace long enough to be alone and rehearse that truth in your mind and heart. Let God work out that one truth in your soul, let it froth with new insight, let is rise with understanding, and let it bring the aroma of something new and fresh and wonderful that only the Blessed Woman who meditates on His truth will enjoy!

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