Notes for "Stirring Divine Activity" from Sunday 9-5-10

In addition to another post on some recommended software applications, I decided to post some of my notes from this past Sunday’s message (09-05-10). You can listen to/download the audio here.

Stirring Divine Activity: Workflows & Lifehacks for Inward Transformation

Part 3 of our series that asks, “Am I the Person I want to be?”

Workflow = steps to get a job done.

Lifehack = any simple solution that makes your life easier or better. It solves problems.

Intro

A lot of what we’ll cover today falls under the “take it or leave it” category. What I want to make clear here is what part of this message does not fall under that category.

You can pick and choose from the tips that follow.

You may not see any benefit in, for example, using software based task managers to help you stay on track with prayer. I don’t care.

You MUST do the kind of thinking I did, because the Bible commands it.

Work out:

Philippians 2:12-1 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Exercise metaphors used in Paul’s Writing:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self- control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. Galatians 5:7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

1 Timothy 4:6-16 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

The problem with Making commitments, resolutions, and taking short cuts.

It is simply impossible to grow to maturity apart from consistent engagement in basic spiritual disciplines.

Committing to prayer is a lot like dieting. Anyone can do it for a few weeks, but then it gets old and something else begins to look more tasty. Like physical exercise, the results of consistent spiritual discipline is not often immediately seen. Character, like muscle, builds slowly.

• Mature Christians know that God changes people who regularly, passionately, hungrily, humbly, submissively approach Him, allowing Him the time and space to do His work within.

• I have never known a single mature believer who got that way by having some big shot pray over them. I have known none that became a serious person over night. I have known none that miraculously developed proper christian character as the result of some special visitation or impartation from God or anyone else. There are no shortcuts to godliness. There is just you, your time, the Bible, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Apart from spending time in God’s presence, submitted to God’s work, you will stay the same or get worse.
  

  The point for today: Your heart needs maintenance, but so does your system for maintaining your heart. We might even call this a spiritual discipline workflow.

Capture what you are seeing

Keeping a journal, really just a record, increases the benefit of your daily disciplines for at least 2 reasons:

1. First, writing a fresh insight down often leads to expanding and clarifying the original thought.
   You end up with more insight by taking it seriously enough to write it down. By writing about your troubles, sins, and concerns you will often gain greater clarity about what is actually troubling you.

2. Second, by keeping a record of your journey with Christ you will begin to see pattens form.

   On the negative side, I have often been shocked when reviewing my journal to see that I had not overcome some struggle with sin over a period of time. Disappointing, but extremely helpful. Seeing ongoing failure should light a fire within to pursue God more. On the positive side, I have at times detected a pattern of encouragement. I realized that what I thought was a subtle reminder, perhaps from God, about this or that was actually more. It was part of a long stream of clear indicators that God was calling me to patience, promising relief, or even assuring me of some coming success. Yes, my theology is “pentecostal” that way.

Here are some of the things I do, and recommend you do in your journal:

• Capture fresh insights into yourself and confess sin and failure. Include patterns of sin you have discerned, areas of needed growth, confess any lack of passion for God that you experience …

• Write about what God is doing in your life. Where do you feel you are headed in your walk with Christ? Do you see things changed? Are there challenges to growth or areas of staleness that need to be addressed? What may be contributing positively or negatively to your life?

• Write down bits of encouragement and exhortations that you feel God has given you. If I feel God has spoken to me via someone or something else, I write it down. I could be wrong. It might not have been God, but I would rather take the chance that I’m wrong and be encouraged or rebuked if it seems helpful.

Develop the habit of daily a task list (based on central goals), especially things you want to do every day.

Basic to maintaining a solid life of devotion is consistency.

I use software to keep my lists and have several task lists that repeat daily (see this post for more info about the applications I use and whatnot). One list in particular is pertinent here. It consists of a handful of spiritual disciplines that I want to engage in daily. Each task is worded in a way that helps me achieve my desire outcome, in this case ongoing, inner transformation for my joy and God’s glory. Here are 3 of them:

• Humbly, passionately, prayerfully, submissively study God’s Word.
• Spend time in the presence of Christ in worship and prayer.
• Review your questions.

First one: It does not say, “Read Bible”.

Second One: It doesn’t say, “Pray”

The third task on the list is a new one which has become very helpful. We will look at it under the next heading.

Find ways to poke around the important & sensitive areas of your character.

1. Make yourself a question list and review it regularly.
   In flipping through my journal over the last year I began to realize that I had learned several lessons more than once. That is to be expected, but I also became a little frustrated at how quickly I had forgotten what seemed to be very important and beneficial insights from the past. I realized that this week’s mind-blowing truth was also last November’s mind-blowing truth, and yet I seemed to need to learn it all over again. I do not like wasting time, so I recently started asking myself some questions as reminders of what God has been making clear to me.

2. Tailor them to fit your own goals, areas of weakness, and desires for inward transformation.
   I have seen similar lists from other well known believers in the past. I have found them helpful, but not personal enough to really benefit me. Instead of adopting the questions of someone else, I recommend that you create your own set.

I’m not entirely comfortable with giving all of mine, but here are a few to give you the idea. Not all of them will make sense to anyone but me. They are designed for me specifically. I edit, add, and subtract from them whenever it seems good.

• What is your obsession today? (Assuming that it should be Christ!)
• Who are you bitter at and what idol underlies it?
• What burdens are you carrying yourself?
• Is this the kind of man you want to be?
• What inappropriate patterns of thought are you tolerating that you need to lay before God’s throne today?
• Are you hating sin as sin or as bad feeling or consequence?
• How joyful and enjoyable are you (1-10), especially at home?
• Are you writing articles, chapters, and/or songs?
• Can Erica and the kids see Christ and your dependance on Him in your life?

I have about 20 that I ask myself, often toward the end of my prayer time. I found that too many in one sitting made me feel rushed. I have since broken the list into days of the week, 2 or 3 a day.

Change it when it stops working

This goes back to “training” in 1 Timothy 4:6f. Any good training routine needs to be altered occasionally to fit an athletes current needs.

Things change. The place and time you pray today may not work for you six months from now for any number of reasons. If you find that something that worked before is no longer beneficial, then try to figure out why and make a change. Sometimes spiritual staleness can be addressed by something as simple as a new place to pray or a some other little tweak (a new study bible etc.). Do not let the most important disciplines in your life go stale simply because they are getting stale. Get fresh.

The point of each of these things is to keep you going, to keep you watchful, and to keep you fresh. If you check back with me in a year, these will probably be the same in principle, but different in look, feel, and so on.