How Do You Start & Maintain New Disciplines?

Fall has arrived.  The sunny warm / hot days are battling it out with the more crisp and cool days.  Perhaps mirroring this battle of the seasons is the internal battle from summer to fall.If you’re anything like me, there is a process of adjusting from the more leisurely summer schedule to the structured and sometimes full fall schedule.  I’m interested in what steps you take to adjust to a new schedule and what practices you put in place to help you reduce the number of “hiccups” or “fumbles” through the transition from one season of life to the next.  Do you set a backup alarm away from your bed to insure you get up on time?  Do you have a helper, be it a friend, a spouse or a child who holds you accountable to your promises or new expectations?

There is a striking similarity between our adjustment to new seasons, schedules and environs and the process we put in place to grow intellectually and spiritually.  We come to a point where remaining static or stationary in our learning or growing is distasteful, at least, unbearable at most.  We know that change is needed, but do we know how to bring about that change?  Can we solve the problem on our own?  Will a trip to the self-help section of the library or bookstore move us ahead?  Perhaps.

I offer up these few suggestions from my own experience in the hope that they will serve you well in your journey to growth.

1. First, know what you hope to accomplish through change and discipline. Attempting a new discipline or habit without desired outcome(s) in mind is futile and foolish.  In other words, know what your destination is before you plan your journey there. Let me explain.  I’m feeling somewhat achy and lethargic.  It’s not because I’m ill.  It’s because I’m overweight.  I want to feel better physically, having more energy, not to mention having a better self-image.  Thus, I am ready to map out a plan to achieve the weight loss in order to accomplish these goals.
2. Second, engage disciplines that will best bring about the desired outcomes.  In other words, pick the best vehicle and fuel to get you to your destination.  We’ll stick with my weight loss as our example.  I’ve now spoken with my physician about my weight and received a recommendation for cardio and strength  training, as well as adjusting my intake in order to battle the bulge.  Knowing my desired outcome of weighing less, feeling better physically and mentally, I heed the words of my trainer and my doctor, “Move more. Eat Less.”  I’ve established a doable goal of working out at the fitness center for no less than 1 hour each time.  Partnering this discipline with making sure my meals are balanced, with appropriate portions & no snacking after 7 PM and I’m headed in the right direction.
3. Share your plan with someone. In sharing your plan, your process and your desired outcome with someone, you increase the likelihood that you will proceed with the journey.  I recommend sharing this plan with a trusted friend, spouse, partner, or counselor/coach.  These are people that we know and they know us well enough to question why we are deviating from our plan if we start to falter.  Going back to my weight loss, I told my wife, son and daughter about my desire to lose 40 – 50 pounds and my plan for doing so.  I explained why I wanted to lose weight and they agreed with my goal and plans.  There is no one less forgiving or more strict than a five year old who knows her daddy isn’t doing what he said he’d do.  This positive peer pressure/accountability is helping me to succeed (I’ve lost 25 pounds. I’m half way there).
4. Celebrate/Commemorate your successes. In other words, if you want your healthy discipline to become a habit, you must positively reinforce the results of the discipline. Sometimes the feeling of fulfillment is sufficient, but most of the time, if we want the disciplines employed to accomplish our goal to remain a habit for us, our brain requires a deeper/greater acknowledgment for what has been accomplished.  In fact, many times mini-celebrations all along the path to success will help insure the discipline becomes habit.  My journey to greater health and lesser girth is experiencing these mini-celebrations by little victory dances with my daughter.  She supervises my weigh in and then cheers and dances with me when I’ve achieved more weight loss. Please note that celebrating victory does not include the breaking of the discipline or habit employed to achieve the victory. Breaking the habit by eating a monster bowl of ice cream would defeat me in accomplishing my goal, as well as teach my daughter that I only eat healthy when I want to lose weight.

I hope these little hints for forming new habits serve you well as you step forward into your future.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to hit the gym.  My daughter will be waiting for me when I get home, and I want less of me weighting for her.

Let me know how you do.  I’d love to celebrate with you.

djt

Up, Up and Away! (Waiting for the right fuel supply)

Please read Acts 1:1-14

Can you imagine the thoughts that were going through Jesus’ disciples those forty days after His resurrection?  Just think about it.  The foundations of their understanding, their culture, and their whole world were shaken.  Some beliefs were even crushed by this God-man, Jesus.  He proclaimed that to lead you must serve, to be first you must be last.  Love your enemies.  Pray for those who harm you.  All of these dichotomous thoughts and actions were now amplified by Him who was once dead but now lives.  I don’t know about you, but if He said “Do not leave…in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”, I’d stay right where I was when He said it.  I’d likely set up camp right there where He flew up, up and away, just to make sure I wouldn’t miss Him or His Holy Spirit when they appeared.

That’s where today’s scripture puts us, watching Jesus ascending to His Father while we contemplate all that He has said, all He’s shown, and hoping in all that He has promised.  He said to ‘wait here’, and yet He doesn’t want us to be idle.  He longs for us to commune with the Father and each other in prayer.  He wants us to individually and corporately purpose in our hearts and minds to “Seek first the kingdom of God.”  He has shown us that when we do wait, and when we do seek, we will receive a gift greater than anything we’ve experienced yet, His Holy Spirit.

Is there an area of your life, a time in your schedule that has become so busy that there’s no room for the Holy Spirit?  Even ministry schedules and activities can steal our focus and time.  We edge the Holy Spirit out of the place He longs to be, not to mention where we need Him to be by “doing God’s work”.  Sometimes we just need to “wait” in order to move ahead.

Talk about being unpopular

Please read Acts 21:27-36

Paul has made it to Jerusalem and celebrated God’s blessing in his ministry thus far. He has also faced slanderous rumors and proven them wrong. In today’s passage he is faced with the wonders of going against popular opinion. Paul is seized and in the process of being beaten to death when the Roman centurions step in to find the truth and make sure justice is served. His presence and testimony result in nothing less then pandemonium.

This brings to mind a youth pastor from my younger years.  When Pastor Dan stood before the City Council and the School Board voicing his concern for the degradation of morals and values in our public schools he raised some eyebrows. But when he went on to say that our church would be boycotting the public school’s arts programs so long as they intended for the high school drama program to perform a play with a rape scene in it, he drew outright disdain and public ridicule. He and our church were front page news in the local and area papers. We were labeled “right wing”, “ultra-conservative”, and even blind to the truth. Through all of this Pastor Dan stayed true to the Word and his convictions. Our youth group pulled out of the arts programs. The families in our church withdrew our support of all of these activities as well. After the school and our community saw that this was not an issue on which we would bend or surrender, they reassessed their position. They pulled the “questionable” presentation from the roster and moved on with a higher discernment for future programs.

Not always are we called to a life of leisure and comfort. Sometimes we will face a foe that is daunting and ominous. What we can and must rely on is the fact that we are fully in the center of God’s will and aligning with the standards which He has set in His Word. The day may be coming when we will even face death because of our beliefs and convictions. Are you ready to be unpopular? You don’t have to wait. Live a life of purity out load and you’ll get there fast, but that’s OK. I and Jesus are unpopular too. Won’t you join us?

Did you hear the news about…?

Please read Acts 21:15-26

Paul has finally made it to Jerusalem. He’s sharing stories of all of those who have come to the Lord on his journeys and the people are rejoicing for the Kingdom’s sake. And then James drops the bomb. People have been saying this and that about you. We know it’s not true but we know there are those who believe it. So Paul lets his life and actions show the error of these rumors.

Everybody likes a juicy story. It has all of the right elements: enough of the truth to make it believable; enough sensation to make it scandalous; and the right character as its victim to make you want to repeat it.  One might even add just a little to it to make it all the more juicy. We’ve all heard them. We may have even shared some of them. It’s possible that some may have even fabricated one of these juicy stories because of their popularity. The sad thing is that though we may estimate and attempt to perceive what could come of these stories, we can never know the amount of damage that will occur until it’s all over.

I’ve known more than one Christian who has faced the defamation of his or her character as someone assaulted them with attacks on their character, beliefs or actions. There are some who proved the horrible stories true by becoming what they had been called. And then there are those diamonds. There are those who have proven that they are true soldiers of the cross, because of their humility, long-suffering, and consistent faithful living proving the slanderous and defaming statements wrong. They’ve been passed through the fire and have come forth as pure gold. How are you doing? Is your faith in the right place? Can and will you withstand the fire of public and perhaps church scrutiny when the accusations are hurled? Trust God. Though you lose your job, or even your life, stay true to Him and you will have overcome.

Regardless of what you got, you can have More

Please read Acts 20:17-38

Paul knows that he must continue his missionary travels.  He also knows that this is the last time he will see these brothers and sisters this side of heaven.  Reminding them of their days together maturing and growing in the Lord, Paul now says Watch out!  You have hard days ahead.  Keep the faith.  Trust in Jesus and His words.  Live as I have lived, pursuing Christ and proclaiming His love to all you meet.

I don’t know anyone who enjoys saying “Goodbye” to those they love and care for; especially when you know it’s for the last time.  I know that when I got the call that my grandma had been rushed to the emergency room with congestive heart failure, I thought of of how much I wanted to see her again.  I thought of all the things we hadn’t said or done.  I thought of how much I longed for her to be with us forever.  Instead, God took her to His kingdom.  My memories of Grandma are good and challenging to me as I mature in my faith.  She set a high standard for living, not because she ever put herself above others, but because she served others through, and due to her love for God.  Grandma’s memories cry out, “Stand tall for the faith.  Don’t let the wolves tear you away.  Love and serve others in His name and you will see fulfillment.”

God created us holy beings.  He intends for us all to be holy.  He’s made a way for us to be holy but our selfishness and pride tears us away from that reality and will continue to get in the way of our experience of His holiness if we allow it to do so.  We must submit ourselves to His will every moment of the day, overcoming our dependence on possessions, wealth, self-reliance and pride.  As Paul and the New Testament church experienced we will know God’s love and purity in its fullness if we allow Him to maintain control in our lives.  His hand will never lead us astray. Trust Him today.

Need Direction? Free GPS Available.

In Mark 8:31-38 Peter was totally on the wrong road.  He thought he was on the path to the Messiah, the Savior of the Jews.  He still didn’t see that Jesus was on the road to Messiah, Savior of the world.  Peter had his own idea of how Jesus would become the political and maybe spiritual savior of his people.  His idea, his plan did not include any suffering or death for Jesus.  How could Jesus even talk like that?  “In fact,” Peter thought, “I better straighten Him out.”

I was on my way from Omaha to pick up some stuff for my boss in Kansas City.  I called and got directions from the guy at the warehouse and was on my way.  As I crossed the Kansas/Missouri boarder, I thought, “Uh oh.  I know this place isn’t in Kansas.  It’s in KC, MO”.  So I called and clarified the directions and found out that the road I was looking for was I 435 South, toward St. Louis, not I 435 South, toward Wichita.  The roads had the same name, I 435 South.  They just didn’t have the same destination.

Jesus makes it clear that the road that goes where he’s called us is going to be cluttered with obstacles.  For some this path may even include death.  Nevertheless, He says to make no mistake.  If you sign on, you are in for some hard times.  You are in for some hard times, but look at what I offer at the end.  If you are with Me, I’ll be for you.  If you deny me, I’ll deny you.

There is no mistaking which road to take.  Peter’s goof helps us see that we must choose.  Should I choose what changes the here and now for a little while, or do I choose Who changes the here and now and forever more?  I choose now and forever more to seek out, listen to, and follow God’s direction for me.  How about you?  Is your God’s Positioning System (GPS) working right?

How do you feel about “Floaters”?

Reading Luke 14: 33-35, I want to jump right to the salt.  The salt is easy.  Salt with or without flavor is so much easier to paint good or bad over “…any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”  Am I right, or not?  I mean, I can be a little salty.  I can have a little flavor.  But to just say if I don’t drop everything, well it’s outrageous.

There was a little boy who loved going to the pool.  He could not swim but he loved to splash around in the shallows.  This boy was asked, “Would you like to go deeper?  Would you like to swim?”  He of course said “YES!”  Every week this boy would go to swimming class.  He would listen intently to the teacher and watch the teacher model the best swimming techniques.  He did this all while holding on to the side of the pool.  The teacher said, “If you just let go and trust me, I’ll keep you afloat.  I will not let you drown.”  The boy ventured out into the arms of the teacher once or twice, but he now hangs out in the shallows or holds the edge of the pool and works his way around to the first rope.  He’s still at the pool, but he doesn’t know how to swim.

Jesus’ statement is matter of fact.  If you hold onto your own life, your own stuff, you will drown.  You are just like salt without any flavor.  He says that those who refuse to let go aren’t even fit for the “manure pile”.  It is only when we trade what we hold in our hands for holding His hands that we are able to experience the Truth.  It is He who upholds us when we are weak and can’t stay afloat.  It is He who lifts us up to heights we’ve never seen.  But He will only do this for those willing to drop what they have for Who He is.

What’s in your hands?

Whining: The path to knowing your destiny

If your haven’t read Numbers 14:17-19, you might want to.  That’s what spurred this post.

I have to tell you that when I read today’s reference I thought, “Well, that’s nice.”  I had to go back and read the whole chapter to see the context of today’s passage.  After doing so, my attitude jumped from that’s nice to “That is awesome!”  Here we have a prime example of how God works with us to establish His will and purpose within the hearts and minds of those who follow Him.  He has just let Moses know that the disobedient, whiny, complaining, and traitorous Israelites are about to be struck down with the plague, ending in their deaths.  Moses responds by praying today’s passage.  He’s prays with skill and stealth, using scripture (Ex. 34:6).  God answers Moses’ prayer by sparing the people immediately, but lets him know that not one of the whiners’ families would enter the Promised Land.

Regarding prayer, some think it’s just a positive thought, and others almost can’t move a muscle without praying first.  Why is there such a broad spectrum of ideas?  Well, simply put, prayer is one of those things that requires faith.  The old “certain of what we do not see” from Hebrews 11 is evident in prayer.  Prayer is talking and listening to God.  You may be most aware of the talking to part, but the listening to God is something a bit more out there.  Am I capable of hearing Him speak?  Does He still speak?  Does it really matter?  In answer to all of these, YES.  God indeed listens to us and speaks to us regularly.  Too often we’re distracted and don’t hear Him, but yes He speaks.  In fact, He longs for open conversation with you and me.  He wants us to draw so near to Him that we can’t help but hear His voice.

Take some time to talk to Him, and to listen to Him.  The more you do it the more chance you’ll have of working out His will in your life and those around you, just like Moses in today’s scripture.

Boy Oh Boy, Was He Mad!

Take a look at Hosea 14:1-4 then read on.

Just at the moment I do that thing I’ve promised to never do again, that’s when I feel it.  It’s that sensation that runs down my spine and makes me shiver inside.  It’s that still small voice asking me why I’ve broken my promise once again.  I even wonder if it isn’t a spiritual extra-sensory perception of the disappointment and anger of God.  He’s angry that the tempter has succeeded with the “sin that so easily entangles” (Heb. 12:1-3) me.  Where was my discipline?  Why didn’t I see it coming?

I was raised in a home where the words “gosh” or “darn” (Forgive me, Mom for even writing them here) were absolute NO-NO’s.  We switched the channel whenever someone swore on TV; had certain shows we just knew were off limits because of the language.  Thus you will understand my need to drop to my knees in repentance on the front lawn of my grade school while we were playing soccer.  I’d had enough of the cheating from the other team and let out some cursing and expletives that might have made a sailor blush.  Immediately I knew I had disappointed my Father, not to mention myself.  I had lost the favor of the One I love most.  My witness was diminished with one line of verbiage.  You may smirk at this but I had to pray.

Each of us has areas of our lives where we do what is right without thinking.  We do this because it is second nature or extra-normal for us.  That’s where the Israelites should have been, but they weren’t.  They were idiots and repeatedly broke God’s law and likely His heart, requiring repentance.  Guess what.  Each of us has some of that idiocy within us.  There are things we fall for every time because we allow ourselves to take over God’s place of importance.  We want what we want and we’re going to have it.  Instead of giving in so easily, let’s do this instead.  Start and live your day with this prayer.

Today, God, I know I need to give __________ to You because if I don’t I’m bound to disappoint You.  I will not settle for less than what You have to offer.  So take this from me in exchange for Your perfect Spirit instead.  Thank you.  Thank you. Amen.

Please let me know if this or any of my posts are helpful to you.  Thanks.