musings on prayer, life, and discipline
i feel like i am at a small turning point in my understanding and appreciation of the balance between grace and discipline. that is, that i don't think there is a balance. grace and discipline do not have to be separate. really, it is a gift of grace to be disciplined. disciplining ourselves in light of grace opens our heart up to receive and experience more grace. conversely, experiencing grace motivates and inspires us to be disciplined. they are connected, woven together - not to be separated.
be to do to be to do.
i'm figuring out that i live independently of God probably about 90% of the time. even in reading and studying the word - sometimes i even pray without really engaging with God. and in studying and growing in knowledge of the word is futile unless we are engaged with God because "knowledge puffs up" and true believers "worship God in SPIRIT and in truth". even though i (the new susan) desire to grow and know God more and even if i try to discipline myself i fall.
the key is knowing that my new nature is not enough - i cannot just apply my will in tough discipline (romans 7:18). i must lean hard upon divine grace - GOD is my only hope, not me or anything i can do. my point is this: if our new nature lives in self-sufficiency and self-reliance, it will always be defeated. bob flayhart says that "it is only as we hope in the power of the Holy Spirit that we can defeat temptation...the new nature hoping desperately in Christ is able to face temptation"
but the more i learn, the more i realize i just don't know. katie b and i were talking this afternoon about bob flayhart and how every time we hear the gospel at oak mountain, it makes us realize how much we just don't know! there is so much to know! i wanna know everything! now! ...
craig branch gave me this illustration recently: the reality of God is like a sphere and each experience/revelation of God is like a straight shot through the sphere - we receive a new perspective and understanding of God's truth, grace, and His life each time we pass through. we can never behold it all at once - that would be impossible now. but he is continually moving us through this sphere - we never really exit it whether we are aware of it or not.
"The abiding REALITY is God, and His order comes through the moments. Am I always in contact with Reality, or do I only pray when there is a disturbance in the moments of my life?" - oswald chambers
i wanna live in the sphere! i guess the reality is that i do. open the eyes of my heart, Lord.
be to do to be to do.
i'm figuring out that i live independently of God probably about 90% of the time. even in reading and studying the word - sometimes i even pray without really engaging with God. and in studying and growing in knowledge of the word is futile unless we are engaged with God because "knowledge puffs up" and true believers "worship God in SPIRIT and in truth". even though i (the new susan) desire to grow and know God more and even if i try to discipline myself i fall.
the key is knowing that my new nature is not enough - i cannot just apply my will in tough discipline (romans 7:18). i must lean hard upon divine grace - GOD is my only hope, not me or anything i can do. my point is this: if our new nature lives in self-sufficiency and self-reliance, it will always be defeated. bob flayhart says that "it is only as we hope in the power of the Holy Spirit that we can defeat temptation...the new nature hoping desperately in Christ is able to face temptation"
but the more i learn, the more i realize i just don't know. katie b and i were talking this afternoon about bob flayhart and how every time we hear the gospel at oak mountain, it makes us realize how much we just don't know! there is so much to know! i wanna know everything! now! ...
craig branch gave me this illustration recently: the reality of God is like a sphere and each experience/revelation of God is like a straight shot through the sphere - we receive a new perspective and understanding of God's truth, grace, and His life each time we pass through. we can never behold it all at once - that would be impossible now. but he is continually moving us through this sphere - we never really exit it whether we are aware of it or not.
"The abiding REALITY is God, and His order comes through the moments. Am I always in contact with Reality, or do I only pray when there is a disturbance in the moments of my life?" - oswald chambers
i wanna live in the sphere! i guess the reality is that i do. open the eyes of my heart, Lord.
posted by Susan Gordon at 5:03 PM
1 Comments:
yep i like it... musin' susan.
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