Growing my faith, my relationship with God, is my top priority. Above all else, my relationship with Christ must come first. Everything else in my life hinges upon this. But in order to do that, you have to develop a series of disciplines that will help you grow and mature in your faith.
As a minister, all too often, I have conversations that center around how to grow and mature in our faith. I have discovered that most people have no idea what to do to deepen their faith. Most of the people I have these conversations with want to deepen their faith, they just aren’t sure how to go about doing that.
As a result, I’ve decided to write a series of posts about spiritual disciplines. These are habits that I believe are necessary to grow in our faith. These are habits that are either prominent in Scripture, or have been proven through the lives of other, spiritually mature believers.
Not everyone grows in the same fashion or speed. What might be a breeze to one person may be a difficult discipline to master for another. But I firmly believe that each of these disciplines play a part in our becoming who God has created us to be.
Over the course of the next few weeks and months, I will be writing a series of posts about these disciplines. Each post (or posts, maybe) will define each discipline, and give some practical ideas on how to implement this effectively in our lives.
The Practice Of The Presence Of God by Brother Lawrence (New Kinsington, PA: Whitaker House, 1982)
Sometimes, it’s valuable to set aside the contemporary and take in something classic and time honored. Sometimes, we need to go back and see what those who have come before us have learned, and what they have to share with us.
Brother Lawrence was a 17th-century French Carmelite monk who is best known for his spiritual writings and his practice of living in constant awareness of God’s presence. A simple man, Brother Lawrence served most of his life in the kitchen of a monastery near Paris. What set him apart was his unwavering commitment to practicing the presence of God in his daily life. He believed that anyone could experience a deep and constant communion with God, not just through formal prayers and rituals, but in the midst of ordinary, everyday tasks. Brother Lawrence’s simple and practical approach to spirituality resonated with many, and a friend compiled his teachings and his letters into a small book after his death, called The Practice Of The Presence Of God.
This book is quick and easy to read, although you should take it slow. It may be simple, but is also incredibly profound, and filled with insights and wisdom on how to cultivate a continuous awareness of God’s presence in every aspect of life. I first read this little book in 2000, but recently pulled it out to read it again. There are a few things that stood out to me.
Ephesians is a theologically rich letter, filled with glimpses of core doctrine as well as deeper explorations of the main tenets of Christianity. And in Ephesians 3, Paul offers a prayer for the Ephesian Christians that God will do three things in their lives. In Paul’s prayer, he outlines the reality of the Trinity. His prayer petitions God in three ways: as the Spirit, as Christ, and then as the Father.
This three-fold prayer is powerful just as it’s written in this letter. Paul is seeking strength, love, and fullness for the Ephesian Christians, but when we factor in the Trinity, this takes on an ever deeper and richer significance.
In this Random Rambling, we’ll see take a brief look at what Paul prays, and what it means for the Ephesians, and for us as well.
About Random Ramblings:
Random Ramblings are just that: they are random, and I’ll probably ramble. It’s an opportunity to share a little about what’s going on in my mind, primarily about what I’ve gained from my study of Scripture. I hope these ramblings can be an encouraging and helpful part of your day. These brief videos will be shared here and on my YouTube channel. You can jump over there to subscribe for only video updates, or subscribe here to be notified of posts of all kinds.
Links:
Theology Matters. And I found a t-shirt to prove it. You can find it on Amazon.com.
The time of the book of Judges was a very dark period of Israel’s history. The people of Israel were in a cycle of sin and oppression. God would send a deliverer, and they would have peace for a time, and then the cycle would repeat, getting progressively worse. However, there are a few bright spots to be found during this time. One of them is the example of a man named Manoah.
One of those bright spots is the example of a man named Manoah and his wife, found in Judges 13. God reveals to Manoah what he is about to do for his people, and Manoah’s response is one that we can follow as an example of faith and obedience.
In this Random Rambling, we’ll see four characteristics that Manoah displays, characteristics we should develop in our own life as well.
About Random Ramblings:
Random Ramblings are just that: they are random, and I’ll probably ramble. It’s an opportunity to share a little about what’s going on in my mind, primarily about what I’ve gained from my study of Scripture. I hope these ramblings can be an encouraging and helpful part of your day. These brief videos will be shared here and on my YouTube channel. You can jump over there to subscribe for only video updates, or subscribe here to be notified of posts of all kinds.
Links:
That sweet mug is handmade by THrō Ceramics. I received it as part of my Mugbox subscription. Check them out!
The Mission Of God by Christopher J. H. Wright (Downer's Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2006)
Most of the time, I think I have a pretty wide range of reading topics. But occasionally, I am reminded of how limited my range can be, and I find myself reading a book that I would never have even imagined I’d pursue. Let me explain.
I am currently working towards a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry in Strategic Leadership. So far, my classes have introduced me to reading material that would probably have come to my attention eventually. But there has been a book or two that I doubt I would have found if not for a professor recommending it or a class requiring it. That is the case with The Mission of God, by Christopher J. H. Wright.
The Bible is a narrative, telling the story of humanity and our relationship with God. In that overarching narrative, there are several threads that run through the pages of Scripture: sin and redemption, our need for a Savior in Jesus Christ, God’s glory, and judgment, just to name a few. And another is the theme of “mission.” What Wright proposes, however, is not simply that the Bible contains a basis for mission, but that there is a missional basis for the Bible. That seems a minor issue of semantics, but the difference is enormous, and holds some significant implications for humanity, and our role as Christians, partnering with God in his plan of redemption.
Topic after topic is addressed in quick order in Matthew 6, all with the underlying instruction to not worry about such things. In this passage, Jesus tells us not to worry about our money and finances.
Jesus begins this passage on money with the words, “Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth.” This is a teaching with a sharp point to it, because we have a passion for our possessions, don’t we? Materialism is a trap that captures many, and no one is immune from it. It’s easy for us to get caught up in acquiring more and more stuff.
Much of the time, the stuff that we acquire isn’t necessarily bad in and of itself. Did you buy a guitar? It may be used for worship. Need a new and dependable car? That’s necessary for day-to-day functions, and you could use it as a ministry tool, too. And I’m sure you could think of scores of examples to add to the list. The problem really isn’t money, or even the stuff that money can buy. It’s the motives behind the money issues that are really at the root of things.
Our passion for stuff shouldn’t lead us to hoard it for selfish reasons. Why not? Because it won’t last anyway. Moths eat clothes. Rust destroys cars. Stuff decays and deteriorates. And our stuff can easily become an idol if we aren’t careful.
Most of us long for personal growth and spiritual growth. Often, those two areas can overlap. If we want to grow, there are a few areas of life where we need to invest time and effort to make growth possible.
Luke’s Gospel gives us a brief glimpse into the childhood of Jesus when he tells of Jesus in the Temple at the age of 12. It’s an interesting snapshot of the childhood of Jesus, and helps us understand his purpose here on earth. But then Luke makes a brief statement that we can kind of overlook as just a summary of Jesus’ early life. If we look closer, this statement actually gives us four key areas in which Jesus was intentional about his growth, and we can follow that example in our own lives.
In Luke 2:52, we read, “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”
In one sense, that is exactly what we assume it to be: a summary of the life of Jesus between the age of twelve and the start of his public ministry. But a deeper look shows us four key areas of growth that we can pursue in our own lives, just as Jesus did. When we invest in these four areas, growth will follow.
The first area that Luke highlights is the area of wisdom. This is a critically important investment in our lives. And one that we need to be very intentional about pursuing.
