Matt is safely and happily home, and today will be a full day with Matt beginning to teach a new course, evangelism this afternoon with the students and a visiting team, dinner with the team and a presentation of the seminary program to the team this evening! However, it's not the day that I want to share with you.
My devotional time this morning kicked me in the butt, giving me lots to think about and perhaps something 'revolutionary' to share about self-discipline and holiness, at least for my own heart.
"There was nothing of the nature of impulsive or thoughtless action or speech in our Lord,
but only a calm strength that never got into a panic.
Most of us develop our Christianity along the lines of OUR nature,
not along the lines of God's nature.
Impulsiveness is a trait of the natural life,
and our Lord always ignores it,
because it hinders the development of the life of a disciple.
Impulsiveness is all right in a child,
but is disastrous in a man or woman--
an impulsive adult is always a spoiled person.
Impulsiveness needs to be trained into intuition through discipline.
Walking on water is easy to someone with impulsive boldness,
but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is something altogether different.
We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises-
human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently.
But it DOES require the supernatural grace of God
to live 24 hours of every day as a saint,
going through drudgery, and living an ordinary,
unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus.
It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God--but we do not!
We HAVE to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and HOLY on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people...and this is not learned in 5 minutes.
'Build yourself on a most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit' Jude 1:20
--O. Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, October 21st.
If THIS is what I want: not to be a person of impulsive action, impulsive speech, or even impulsive LOVE, but instead to be a DISCIPLE, a saint, Holy, Spirit filled, developed along the lines of God's character, EXCEPTIONAL in my day to day living before the Lord...
then I have quite a bit to learn!
It is what I want.
thank you for sharing your devotional reading for today. Matt said something so impactful to me while he was here and it was "you can never trust your emotions" Impulsive action is fueled by emotion. It is how i have always existed. It has to change in order to grow up in Christ. God is always right on time.
ReplyDeletegoing through drudgery, and living an ordinary,
ReplyDeleteunnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus.
Ouch, does this mean all the attention is not about me?
Thanks for reminding me of God's working in the mundane.
In His Love,
charlie
ps. I wish we were the visiting team!!
I had to read that twice this morning - it's what I want in my life too, but man! it's so contrary to to my nature! Praying for you and me both to be mundanely holy. S
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I just started reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan. It is about the Holy Spirit. God always seems to speak through you to me along with everything else He brings into my life.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
I want Jesus to teach and help me to be exceptional in the ordinary things or life so that he can help me to be Holy for Him on the ordinary streets with ordinary people. Thank you Stace...
ReplyDeleteGlad Matt is home again with his two favorite girls...
Lori
Thank you for a wonderful reminder that it isn't all about me! Or what I want...it's about learning to walk in obedience moment by moment and praying that each moment finds me faithful. I will be sharing this w/Bud as well. We pray for the field and are excited to be returning in January. Glad Matt is home. Bless you - Cindy
ReplyDeleteStacey!
ReplyDeleteI was reading the exact same thing this morning...Oswald really does 'hit the nail on the head'!
Praying for you all...
hugs to Matt and Lily...you too!