Discipline as a Disciple

So... I'm learning that many "gung-ho Christians" (myself included) don't always practice what they preach. Do you put God first? Are you authentic? Do you make plans and ask Him to bless them, or do you ask Him to reveal His plans for your life and pray for the strength to carry them out? Are you totally lost when I ask these questions? I am, sometimes. And God graciously hammers it in, time and time again: Christianity is not a feeling. It's a verb.

The Christian life starts with the Bible. Anything else is an imitation and can easily be led astray. And how do we stay in the Word? Discipline, my friends. It's not easy. It doesn't always feel good. It's almost never convenient in our busy lives. Isn't that the point?! As my friend Andrew says, Christian life is like endurance training. Not every workout is euphoric, and not every workout is a struggle to overcome. Some of them just are. And skipping those workouts is absolutely detrimental because they are the very foundation of your training. Time spent in the Word is the same way. Some days I will just read. But when I'm faithful in those times, God is planting things in my heart even if I don't realize it. And those very scriptures I read during the blah times could be preparing me to live well in future moments.

Lest you think I'm being preachy, I will be the first to admit that my own spiritual discipline is spotty at best. The stubborn moments when I live for myself and not for God still come. Nearly weekly, sometimes daily. But by the grace of God, those times are shorter-lived before I run back to God. I'm so thankful that He takes my ever-wandering heart back, time and time again.

{Today's blog post brought to you by 2 Peter 1:3-10}

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