Small steps to huge results in transformation

As we become more and more enthralled by the vision of the kingdom of God, it follows that we want to be shaped by God and so live life more intentionally. We start making small plans and taking tentative steps for this change. With God’s grace drawing us along, we arrange our lives differently. 

We give up certain activities because we want time to do things we’re reasonably sure will help reshape us. Here and there, we give up a shopping trip, doing without an item we thought we needed (frugality), because we’d rather reread a book that really spoke to us (study and meditation). We intentionally take stationery with us to the doctor’s office so that as we sit in the waiting room we can jot a note to our friend’s son who is in jail, instead of reading whatever magazines happen to be there (service). We make a little effort to arrive at church early to greet that stranger who’s been sitting alone at the back of the sanctuary (welcoming strangers). 

We aren’t heroic about these things, and we don’t turn them into chores, but we take seriously the ideas for disciplines that come to us that are most likely the prodding of the Holy Spirit. As the means help us, our vision and intention become stronger yet. 

TODAY’S EXPERIMENT - What disciplines, if any, do you find yourself drawn to? Consider small practices of solitude, silence, prayer, meditation, study, confession, reflection, service, secrecy, frugality, fasting, community, worship, and celebration. How might practicing some of these disciplines enhance your vision of the kingdom of God? 

Perhaps you found value in reading those gospel chapters mentioned a few devotions ago and would like to do that on a regular basis (study and meditation). Perhaps there are people you know whose lives resemble the teaching and character of Jesus and you would like to serve alongside them in a project they’re involved in (service and community). 

Perhaps reading this book is helping you see that you need to spend a morning in solitude, practicing the presence of God and confessing what has come to you in the reading. Perhaps you would like to pray for a neighbor who has triumphed over you so that the next time you’re on the spot with that person, you can behave with love and concern. Ask God to show you what is next.

Dave's thought: Dave Ramsey teaches this concept of baby steps to financial freedom. Build an emergency fund. Get out of debt, starting with the smallest. Live on beans and rice: live like no one else so that soon you can live like no one else!


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Replacing/transforming our destructive ideas & images

Image
IMAGES: IDEAS PICTURED - Closely associated with governing ideas are images, which are concrete or specific as opposed to the abstractness of ideas. They are laden with feeling. In recent history, hair (long, short, skinhead, green, orange, purple) has provided powerful images of conflicting idea systems.  In many churches today, the services have divided into traditional and contemporary, so that the guitar and pipe organ are no longer just musical instruments but powerful symbols. Such divisions are not unimportant or sinful, but one does have to understand what drives such divisions in order to act responsibly in relation to them. Jesus carefully selected an image that conveys himself and his message: the cross. It presents the lostness of humans as well as the sacrifice of God and the abandonment to God that brings redemption. No doubt it is the all-time most powerful image and symbol of human history.  Ideas and images can be a stronghold of evil in the human self and
Read more

Distorted images of God

Image
Carefully placed images persuade us to forgo thinking and accept ideas we might normally question. For example, putting the flag of one’s country on a product or event aims to brand it as good and wholesome when it may not be. Images that seem benign in movies may also “teach” an idea that, if we thought about it, would appall us. But we unthinkingly accept the idea because we like the image.  TODAY’S EXPERIMENT - Consider your images of God. While Scripture puts forth images such as breath and wind and fire and cloud, be honest with yourself: What really comes to mind when you think of God? For many, God is a benevolent giant who is too busy for them, a clever boss who pulls the rug out from under them just when they thought they knew what was going on, or a hard-nosed teacher who demands much of them. Give some thought to what ideas drive your images of God. What do you routinely think about God (even though you might never tell anyone at church)? Finish this sentence: G
Read more

Challenging our thinking toward more Spirit-oriented study & worship

Image
Some people’s understanding of God keeps growing; their vision of the kingdom of God becomes increasingly richer. They don’t mind being stretched and having to think things through. We can become Spirit-oriented thinkers if we ask the Spirit to help us as we approach Scripture or even the newspaper opinion page or a magazine that stretches us.  We can seek guidance, asking, How does this square with what I already know or think? Is my thinking straight here? Is there something here I need to learn? You can always tell such truth-seekers because they connect the dots between two things that seem to be opposites. They see what others miss, such as when Dallas links a thoughtful, studious approach to life with worship of God. Many people concentrate only on worship or only on study to the exclusion of the other. In contrast, study and worship should flow together. Students of God remain humble when they worship, and worshippers who also study worship with substance and truth
Read more