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Featured Sermon - The Path to Power and Usefulness by A.W. Tozer

Discussion Forum : General Topics : Discipline

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Compton
Member

Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 2732

Re:

Hi Warior,

I appreciate your candor about your discipline. We could all stand to be more frank with one another about our weaknesses in many areas of our lives. Also, I certainly agree with Robert and similar observations that rigged 'discipline' is not the highest aim, but trying to understand what being led of the Spirit is. We learn this I believe...and listen and learn from each other to grow in the life of the Spirit.

Quote:

But I know that I don't have this much passion about the Lord as at the start and this troubles me.

At the risk of sounding contradictory, I would like to add that 'passion' is all well and good, but is really at the other end of the game field from the goal of discipline. In my experience, waiting for the passion before taking the initiative is a, well undisciplined gameplan to life. This may sound odd since so many Christian songs and themes seem to center around having more passion for the Lord. I believe this kind of thinking will only cause you to go in circles rather then achieve real traction.

Here is a short piece of practical advice I can give you: don't attack every area of your life all at once with ultimate goals. Instead, right the ship one degree at a time. For instance, if you need to diet, make modest goals of exercise and healthy eating, and experience what it is like to succeed before adding to those goals. Most people who go from having no real plan to setting extreme goals are unable to follow through and instead of tasting success, they become familiar with failure.

Becoming familiar with success is a most important step to self-discipline. Knowing what it takes to win is crucial. You win in one area first, and take notes on how you did it. Then apply that experience to other areas...one at a time if you need to.

Don't assume you can change all of your habits at once. You will only frustrate yourself, and become convinced there is something in your personality that is inherently unable to accept discipline. Part of being spirit-led is being free from the burden of changing everything all at once...real traction is more important then idealistic promises.

I like what the American President Abe Lincoln said..."I may walk slow but I never walk backwards." Well many zealous people run forward only to fall backwards because their progress was only a burst of zeal and passion, and not true maturity and knowledge. Maturity comes when we see how to win with wisdom and not with passion. Only maturity produces sustainable results. Living by passion, even in spiritual matters, will only burn you out.

So set a simple, realizable goal today and start getting used to winning brother!

Blessings,

MC

_________________
Mike Compton

2007/8/31 23:58

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Warrior4Jah
Member

Joined: 2005/7/5
Posts: 382
The Netherlands

Re:

Thank you moe_mac for you advise and prayers, I appreciate it a lot! Thanks Compton for your advise too! :-)

_________________
Jonathan Veldhuis

2007/9/1 6:44

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RobertW
Member

Joined: 2004/2/12
Posts: 4636
St. Joseph, Missouri

Re:

Compton's:

Quote:

Don't assume you can change all of your habits at once. You will only frustrate yourself, and become convinced there is something in your personality that is inherently unable to accept discipline. Part of being spirit-led is being free from the burden of changing everything all at once...real traction is more important then idealistic promises.

I think this is very good advice. The Holy Spirit will work on us as we yield our lives to Him. God has a way of putting His finger on the most important things. He has a way of sorting through to find what is most important to us that He might show us the controversy He has with us. It has been my experience that He takes these things one by one. Not that somehow being born again is a progressive work; but God does have a way of bringing things to the surface to be dealt with. He knows what He wants to work on next. I think the key is our willingness to keep saying yes to Him.

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Robert Wurtz II

2007/9/1 19:18

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SeanHobson
Member

Joined: 2005/12/9
Posts: 150
Cleveland, OH

Re:

WHen you figure it out Warrior, please PM me the formula.

I'm serious..

God speed

_________________
Sean Hobson

2007/9/1 21:18

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Warrior4Jah
Member

Joined: 2005/7/5
Posts: 382
The Netherlands

Re:

So I guess the next step is that I find what the HS wants (me?) to work on. There are so many things I would like to see changed, actually we only need to read His holy Word to find more things in which we should be changed. Can I really keep up? Thank you for some more food for thought! :-)

Quote:

I think this is very good advice. The Holy Spirit will work on us as we yield our lives to Him. God has a way of putting His finger on the most important things. He has a way of sorting through to find what is most important to us that He might show us the controversy He has with us. It has been my experience that He takes these things one by one. Not that somehow being born again is a progressive work; but God does have a way of bringing things to the surface to be dealt with. He knows what He wants to work on next. I think the key is our willingness to keep saying yes to Him.

_________________
Jonathan Veldhuis

2007/9/2 5:56

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Warrior4Jah
Member

Joined: 2005/7/5
Posts: 382
The Netherlands

Re:

Hey SeanHobson!

I'd love too, if I could. Is there really one formula? I've found out that I often thought to have 'the solution', which in reality was just me trying to put God in another box. :-(

_________________
Jonathan Veldhuis

2007/9/2 6:00

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