Mature Christians: Discipleship #6

What are the marks of a mature Christian? Is it showing up to church every week? Is it the ability to pray in such a way that everyone wishes they could pray like you? Is it the ability to teach and share knowledge? I'm afraid in the world of Christianity we often have things backwards compared to how Christ would have described maturity.

I was reminded this week how in the upper room as He and the disciples celebrated the Passover meal together (yes meal, more than crackers and juice...but I'll save that discussion for another time), Jesus took a towel, knelt down and began to wash their feet. Here he was the King of Kings, doing the work of a servant. Jesus reminded us that the first would be last and the last would be first. Maybe we have this whole maturity thing backwards...

I came across an article that spoke to what a mature Christian looks like:
( 10 Marks of a Mature Christian)

Here are the 10 marks as the author Frank Powell sees it.

1) The highs and lows of life don’t impact your relationship with God. 

2) You find value in the “daily-ness” and trivial seasons of life.

3) You are at peace with situations beyond your control. 

4) You don’t allow disciplines to take a back seat.

5) You maintain a childlike sense of wonder and awe.

6) You do not compare yourself to others.

7) You listen to others who have a different viewpoint … with the goal of growing and not correcting.

8) Your heart breaks for the poor and marginalized.

9) You understand Christianity doesn’t have an on/off switch.

10) You have a sustainable rhythm to your life.

 

One of the biggest keys to the kind of life in Christ described in this article is consistency. Consistency is built by faith. When we believe God is in control, that He is our life, that He is our source, then we begin to walk in the love and peace that only comes from being his child. That is maturity in Christ.

Sabbath: rest with God

Do you feel like you go non-stop week to week. Do you wake up tired? Are you drowsy or nodding off part way through the day?  Maybe you need to rest. Not just sleep. Maybe you need time off, not just from work.

God sets up the pattern in Genesis 2 of rest after work. Not that He needs the rest...

"Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done."

And in one of the most famous passages, He choose to include it in the 10 Commandments: Exodus 20

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." 

One of our elders pointed out to me that God made man on the 6th day. So God's last day of the week was a day of rest, and man-kinds first day was God's day of rest.  We were made to be in relationship with Him. To walk with Him and talk with Him. If you are so busy that you can't slow down for your relationship with him, if you feel stagnant, if you feel like you aren't growing in Him, slow down. Stop. Take a rest. Find your rest in Him and He will draw close to you as you draw near to Him. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

Submitting to submission...Submitting to love

Submission is hard...and talking about it in a positive way may be even harder. It doesn't come naturally to us, we fight it with every fiber of our independent being. But we are called to submit, for our own good, to our God and to other people. What does that look like? What does that mean for us? What are we scared of?

Let's start with what may be one of the most often quoted scriptures, and certainly one of the most preached: The Greatest Commandments.

Matthew 22

³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
  
Pretty simple right? Just love the "Lord" with...everything & love your neighbor...as yourself...

OK, maybe not so simple but why? We have this urge, this need to be in control. Or maybe that's just me. It's not that I don't want to relinquish my control, it just that I don't trust someone else to take it and do a good job at it. Really it comes down to trust. Do I trust that God has my best interest in mind? Yes. 

So when I give myself and my life to him with all of my passions, all of my thoughts, with my deepest parts of me, and with my physical body, it should be easy right? Wrong, again. It seems as soon as I get to the place, God reveals another piece of me that I haven't let go of, another corner of my heart to let the light expel the darkness. Then, as if that isn't hard enough, then you want us to love our neighbor in ways that I'm not sure most of us love our selves. 

And that is why it requires submission. As Christians, our lives are not our own. We are told to take up our cross daily, to lay down our lives, to consider others before ourselves. This can only happen in the context of a life laid down. Of wants, and desires placed at the foot of the cross. The cross was the greatest act of love and Jesus reminded us that we participate in this by laying our lives down for our friends in John 15:12-13:

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

I have a little something to share with you: you are not in control of this world. Wow, isn't that freeing. Here's another one: God is in control of this world and He knows what's best for you! There is great freedom in that acknowledgment. Are you willing to put Him as "Lord" over all in your life and world? Once you do, then you will know freedom. And that freedom comes from submission!

The Physical/Spiritual Connection

The physical self is always in need of discipline.  I know the word discipline isn't a very happy word for most, but it is a fitting descriptor. Too often we equate discipline with punishment. Although they can go hand in hand they are not the same.

Discipline is the study or training of people to obey a code of conduct or behavior. Punishment is the infliction of a penalty for an offense to that code of behavior.  They are related but far from the same thing. If we discipline well then there is rarely need for punishment. It is only when we stray away from the training that we have received through discipline that there becomes a need for punishment. 

My posts the last couple of weeks have been on my physical training pertaining to my hike of Mt. Whitney. The discipline necessary to prepare me for my hike was grueling. There were many times I did not want to go to the gym, do P90x, or go for a long run. But I had created a regiment that I knew would provide success and make my experience on the mountain the most enjoyable. 

Spiritually it words the same way. When we create disciplines in our spiritual life it allows us to prepare for all that life has to throw at us. Yes there are times that they are inconvenient, difficult, or we feel we just don't have time for them. But when I put my spiritual life, my relationship with God, as top priority then my desire should be for Him. My desire should be to spend time with Him in as many different ways and as often as possible. 

Just like my schedule for physical training, my schedule for spiritual training has to be set as a priority. When I wake up, when I lie down and everything between. When I regularly connect myself back to God then my time with Him becomes even more fulfilling. There is a secondary effect here too, I feel His presence with me more regularly in the ordinary times of life.

As I discipline my life physically and spiritually it allows me to live with greater focus, capitalizing on every moment. For me, when I am physically disciplined it helps with my spiritual discipline. The disciplined life shines into most areas of our being. 

Do you find discipline in one area of life affects other areas?

Mt. Whitney & Discipline

I'm currently 7 days away from leaving on my trip to climb Mt. Whitney (14,500 ft.) in CA. There has been much sweat, work, gear, time, and energy put into this trip. Now that the hike is within sight I can begin to look back and evaluate what brought me here.

It all started with an add in Backpacker Magazine and an essay. After being "chosen" (I don't think they denied anyone), I picked the date and put down the deposit. I knew that I had much work to do physically, fund raising, convincing some friends to travel with me, and gear purchasing/collecting.

I have never had to raise $4,000 before.  This may have been the most daunting of the challenges: I hate asking for money!  Be that as it may, God blessed the efforts and money began coming in for me.  I'm not sure if people wanted to sponsor me, donate to a great cause (Big City Mountaineers) or get a tax write off :), but regardless they donated and for that I am thankful.

Next I had to convince a couple of friends to travel out there and back with me.  Yes I could have flown or driven on my own, but if there is one think I have learned; adventures are best experienced with friends.  I am thankful that two great friend decided to embark on this adventure. Their friendship and time together there and back, will make this adventure all the more memorable.

Gear was next on my list...I'm thankful for the grace my wife has shown as I have over spent my budget.  I hope and pray that we will have many adventures with our children in the outdoors and my skills and gear acquired on this trip will make those adventures even more grand.

Last but not least the Physical training...This is what I really want to talk about over the next few posts. Training is tough.  Sometimes it is enjoyable.  Sometimes it isn't.  But like any good discipline, you have to do it when you enjoy it and when you don't.  More on this at a later time, but discipline is the key. 

My friends the Rossers put this in their message as they supported me for this trip: " How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!" Isaiah 52:7

BTW- you can still help teens by donating to the cause: Summit for Someone  

Training: Mind, Body & Soul

I do best when I have a goal in mind. I work best under pressure. How about you?

I have the pleasure of participating in a backpacking trip with Big City Mountaineers for their Summit for Someone program in April. The mountain is Mt. Whitney, a whole different kind of backpacking or hiking endeavor than I am used to pursuing.  I will have snowshoes and ice crampons as part of my arsenal and experience after this trip.  If you are not familiar with Mt. Whitney, it is the highest peak (at 14,505 ft) in the lower 48 states and located in California.

In order to deal with the elements, including; altitude, pack weight, vertical assent, snow/ice and many more, training began back in January. Although this is not my first 14,000ft mountain (I've bagged 9 in Colorado), it will be the first during winter conditions. Because of the added elements to this climb, extra gear and training are necessary.

Here is what the last 8 weeks looked like:
1. 5 days a week P90X lean routine (nightly enjoyed with my wife and 2 friends)
2. 3 days a week strength training at the gym (I have my own routine if you're interested comment or email)
3. 3 days a week running (increasing a half mile each week)
4. Friday am to Sunday pm are my rest time

This is a pretty rigorous routine with little time to rest or recover.  There are a couple of reasons for this. First, when you are on a mountain you don't get a day to recover. Second, you can't simulate altitude when you live in Houston. Third, our bodies can be pushed much more than we give them credit for being pushed.

I'll give more specifics on what this training looks like and what results I have achieved in the process.  But here is some food for spiritual thought.  What if I had a plan for my spiritual growth that was as rigorous as my physical training. I know we don't want to be legalistic about our time with God...but it is so easy to get out of the routine with our reading, prayer, sabbath rest, fasting, and the list could go on. 

Here is what I have found: as I discipline my body, I find it easier to discipline my spiritual life.  In other words when I am disciplined in one aspect of life it helps me to be disciplined in other aspects.  Is that how it works for you?  Do you find yourself out of discipline in you physical life? In your spiritual life? In your life? What do you do to correct it? How do you stay disciplined?

1 Corinthians 9:25
²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

1 Timothy 4:8
⁸ For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

Preparation

How do you prepare for your day? What is your morning routine? Most of us get up out of bed (after only one or two snoozes right?). Then shower and get dressed, maybe eat breakfast (most important meal of the day some say). Is the remainder of your morning spent rushing around trying to get to work or school? Did you take the time to check facebook? Did you watch or check the news? Then all of a sudden you are sitting at work wondering where the morning went.

Where was your relationship with God in the midst of all of that business?

Did you take the time to pray? Did you take the time to read from His inspired Word? Did you turn on some worship or listen to an audio Bible on your drive?

Spiritually we function just like our physical bodies: garbage in, garbage out. When I am disciplined with my body; eat right, work out, run, get plenty of sleep, not too much caffeine, my body responds and I feel so much better. More seems right with my world than wrong. However, when I don't do right by my body...well you know the feeling.

Spiritually when I am in relationship, spending time with, making it a priority to be with God...everything seems better. Life circumstances may be just as good or bad, but my attitude and how I approach them is completely different when I am connected to the Father.

Are you connected to the Father? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit room to work through your life? What does this look like in your life? Are you spiritually regular? What spiritual disciplines are you learning right now?

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8, 9 NIV)

Put it into practice and may the God of peace be with you.

Discipline: it hurts

Discipline is not everyone's favorite word. For most it seems to conjure up painful memories and thoughts. We see discipline as a negative word, associated with following the rules.

But there is another way to define discipline: activity, exercise or regimen that develops or improves a skill; training. Training, now there's another word that gets a bad wrap regularly. Here's what I know, I may not like discipline or training but that doesn't mean it isn't good for me.

As I prepare to go climb Mt. Whitney in April my physical preparations have begun. It starts out small and will slowly intensify over the next 3 months. This week I started P90X in the evenings. The first night hurt, and so did the second. But although I'm sore today- it's already better than the first day. And that is the way discipline works. When I train my body it goes from painful, to it hurts good, to enjoyable even if it hurts.

Isn't that the way it works spiritually too? I have struggled the last couple of months to spend regular time in The Word and in prayer. But starting Monday, sitting down on my couch in my office I made my self read through the prayer list and read 2 chapters from Matthew. And then I did it the next day. Now today, I knew I was missing something, I hadn't sat down to read & pray.

Discipline the body. Discipline the spirit. How is God showing you the meaning of discipline?