Inventory Time

A year ago I was doing a preaching series on the subject of discipline. It was a difficult series because discipline is not easy or fun. One of the quotes from that series carried a level of clout that caused me to commit to review it every once in awhile. Since it has been a year, here goes:

“We are to support our faith with self-discipline, a concept which often
seems extreme and unneccesary in today’s times, but is indispensible in order to
have the spiritual muscle to face the challenges to our faith posed by our culture.
This self-discipline is more than willpower, but involves the classic disciplines of
fasting, prayer, silence, solitude, Bible Study, service and fellowship.”

It is self discipline that keeps us from indulging in things that may be pleasant but not good for us. It keeps us from buying things we cannot afford and eating things that will shorten out lives. It keeps us punctual and on track so we have traction for the race. It keeps us in life-long learning mode so that we do not become stale. It keeps us focused to that we are not side-tracked and led astray.

September is a good inventory month. It is a good time of year to check our supplies and make room for the harvest. We can review the first three quarters of the year and see what needs to be accomplished or enhanced before winter. Part of a good inventory includes a look at the classic disciplines listed above. I am not at a 10 level on all those areas but I may be able to take an area where I am a 6 and bring it up to a 7 or 8 with some work. I need to take the areas that I am perhaps at a 2 and bring it up to 3 or 4 simply by bringing it into the light of scrutiny.

“Press toward the mark”

State of the Heart

Psalm 119:11 11 Thy word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against Thee."

We live in a time where “State of the Art” thinking is at the top of the mind. If our toys are obsolete (which most are by the time they hit the shelf) we want to upgrade to the next version. Status quo is not good enough and we want the next level. I would suggest that the desire to get to that next level is a God thing in us that just gets twisted a bit in the material realm but has great value in the spiritual realm. I think it is time to get upgraded in "State of the Heart."

Here are some of the scriptures I used in yesterday's sermon:

Psalm 40:3 3 And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear, And will trust in the LORD.

Proverbs 27:25 25 When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

Isaiah 42:9-10 9 "Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you." 10 Sing to the LORD a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands and those who dwell on them.

2 Corinthians 5:17 17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

3 things that Quiet time with God does for you :

Alows Him to find a good hiding place in the heart
Allows Him to open our eyes to the wondrous things in His Law
Allows you to gain a new perspective and appreciation for transition

That's a sermon outline that will work.

Be blessed !

Listen up !

I have found that most of the times that I have found myself in trouble, it is because I did not employ good listening skills. The art of careful listening is worthy of development and improvement in all of our lives.

"I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." - -Ernest Hemingway

Someone once said there is a reason that God gave us two ears and only one mouth. Good listeners make sound thinkers.

Paying attention will pay benefits that will come no other way. I either need to be really good at that or I need to surround myself with people who are so they can keep me posted of times I am veering off course. Life is full of “Near misses” that are a result of not paying attention. Although it would be nice to be surrounded by people who have as their passion keeping me from embarrassment, it is hard to find friends with that kind of time. The better plan for me is to learn listening. Some of the wisest people I have ever met are some of the quietest. If you can get a word out of them it is worth listening to. I think if I try today, I could spend more time listening.

Taste Bud Training

I was reading an article this morning about training our taste buds to like the foods that we only eat because they are healthy for us. According to Rebekah Simmons, a licensed dietician, it is possible to train our taste buds just as we did when we were very young and developing those favorite tastes. Here are the tips from that article:

"Take a spoonful. Don’t put yourself through eating a whole plate of broccoli; one or two bites are enough. The trick is to try the same food several times within a short period of time.

Mix it up! Eat foods that are prepared in different ways. Cooked carrots may not be your thing; You might prefer them raw. Try things cooked, dried, raw, or mixed with other foods.

Start slowly. Don’t try to eat too many new foods at once. It takes time to teach your tongue to like something new. Start by adding a small amount of vegetables in soups or pasta sauces and then slowly increase the amount added.

Make it small. Shredding or dicing a new food before adding it to a food you like gives the dish a hint of flavor without overpowering it or making it too noticeable. For example, try making pancakes or bread with shredded apples.

Don’t give up! Remember it can take at least seven times of trying a food before liking it."

One of the flavors I a trying this on is Selantro. I really have not liked that taste, but the more I try foods with that flavoring, It is starting to grow on me. I remember that first time I tasted (and smelled) pizza. I thought this would never catch on anywhere. But it did. Now a week seldom goes by that I do not eat pizza.

The spiritual implication is that there are things that are right to do but are unpleasant to us. Training ourselves in a healthy way can move us to enjoying those tasks and actually looking forward to them.

Have fun with some new things today.

The Goal and the Role

My anticipation point today is getting a better view of the big picture. To do this successfully today, I will need to figure out which is more important: the goal or the role. The role I may play today needs to keep the goals in mind. There are big goals that I spend a lifetime striving for and there are daily goals that require changing and adapting to meet. Bruce Barton once said, “ If you are through changing, you’re through.” Here are some questions that I need to answer today:

Am I aware of the changes going on around me? If I treat others based on how they were yesterday, I may miss significant things that they need.

Am I willing to change? If I do it grudgingly, I spend my life frustrated and hurt.

Are my ministries changing to correspond with societal changes? This one is a bit more complicated because society tends to move with fads that may not be healthy. However, if I do not speak to the issues such as blended families, divorce recovery, homelessness, addiction, downsizing of the industrial workforce, or time pressures of single parenting, I operate on a different landscape than those I need to reach. (A key to missions is going to the landscape of the needy.)

Are there any positions God is asking me to change today? My personal agendas have been developed and influenced by life. I do find from time to time that some of them need a tune up. It is humbling to figure out that I have promoted something that needs to be ousted in order to go the next step toward God’s bigger goals in my life.

I need to look sincerely at what sacrifices I am making. Every time I do that, I find that I really have not sacrificed much at all. There is no real growth without sacrifice.

A quote from Mother Teresa: “You can do what I cannot do, I can do what you cannot do, Together we can do great things."

From the inside out

Part of my Friday morning discipline is to read something with that will help me go to the next level in self-discipline. I spend much time teaching others how to be disciplined in life and I find that some time needs to be spent keeping myself tuned up. That can be spiritual, physical, social or emotional.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:27: “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others, I myself might be disqualified.”

An article I read this morning , “Leading from the inside out” by Pastor Eric Rust, gave several steps to safeguarding character.

1. Take time for consistent reflection and restoration of body and soul.
2. When faced with an ethical choice or a temptation, consider the example you set for others.
3. Make yourself accountable to a small group of trusted friends.
4. Focus on integrity, not image.
5. Grow deep in your faith.
6. Deal firmly and uncompromisingly with character flaws and hidden sin.

An Andy Stanley question:

“What small thing in my life right now has the potential to grow into a big thing?”

The best time to remove poor character is when it is a small thing.