Daily Discipleship

For years Prairie Guy and I have had a heart for discipleship.  We've known that it is an integral and vital aspect of the christian walk, both to BE  a disciple, following in the footsteps of the Master, and to disciple, as He commanded His followers to do.  "Go now and MAKE disciples."  were His words.

Of course, not having had anyone who took us under their wing to disciple us, and having put so much energy into seeking to be good disciples ourselves, we were always left scratching our heads about the practicalities of discipling others.  Where do you start?  How do you proceed?  We have long been on the lookout for a resource that could be practical and helpful in pursuing this great commission of discipleship. 

Well stop the press, I do believe we found it.  After finishing "The Life You've Always Wanted" by John Ortberg, which is truly the most practical and inspiring book I have ever read on the spiritual disciplines, I went to the Christian Bookstore with the sole purpose of seeking out a book on systematic discipleship.  A book that would walk a body through, step by step, the doctrines of the christian faith from start to finish.  A primer for a life of spiritual growth if you will.  Sound lofty?  Sound impossible?  Yeah, I didn't have high hopes, but it was what I was hoping and praying for.

And folks, I do believe I found it.  Please bear with me while I "freak out" with excitement over my new book.

It's called The Daily Discipler and it is written by Neil Anderson.  The back of the book reads;

"We all have busy lives, and the pace seems to be getting faster.  Daily demands can easily crowd out what is truly important and essential for our spiritual growth and health...

Reading this practical discipler five minutes a day, five days a week, for one year will give you exposure to a comprehensive and very practical course of systematic theology.  Following Paul's outline for growth in Colossians 2:6-7, part I will help you get firmly rooted in Christ.  You will learn who you are in Christ and who God is, plus other critically important foundations for your faith. 

Part 2 teaches you how to grow in Christ and overcome anger, anxiety, depression and fear.  You will earn how to live by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Part 3 teaches you how to live in Christ and be a good steward of what He has entrusted to you. 

Part 4 teaches you how to overcome in Christ the enemies that strive to keep you from living like a child of God, namely the world, the flesh and the devil.

Bring.  It.  On.

Appropriate Smallness

photo by samweng

Why so quiet, you ask?  Well, spring finally hit the great north and who has time to sit in front of a computer when there is so much fun to be had outside?  But now as planting season draws to a close and the temps start to soar I find myself welcoming the cool, shaded retreat of a closed up house for a short reprieve and some quieter pursuits.

While my hands have been busy, my mind has been relatively at rest, but not altogether devoid of mental fodder.  Let's see.  A  month or so back I quoted from one of the chapters in "The Life You've Always Wanted" (this has been a very gently and yet inspirationally impactful read for me!) that focused on what he refers to as "appropriate smallness" (ie, humility).  Really, I have pretty much been moored at that chapter and another one in conjunction with it (more to come on that later), just truly letting the thoughts settle and take root in the soil of my own life.  There is great truth and great challenge to be found here for me.
His sub list for "appropriate smallness" touched on;

a)vanity

b)stubbornness

c)exclusion (excluding God and other people from their rightful place in our hearts). He writes; "Pride moves us to judge rather than to serve. Pride means not only that we want to be smart and wealthy (insert your competitive streak here), but also that we will not be satisfied until we are smarter and wealthier than those around us. Pride is essentially comparative nature."

OUCH.

That ripped open a gaping hole for me to stare into, aghast,  and recognize that oh.yes.siree.pride-is-alive-and well-in-the-chasms-of-this-body-of-death.  Trust me when I say it wasn't pretty.

Well, he diagnosed the problem... what about the remedial course of action?  I just love what he had to say about humility.

"Humility has to do with submitted willingness. It involves healthy self-forgetfulness. We will know we have begun to make progress in humility when we find that we get so enabled by the Holy Spirit to live in the moment that we cease to be preoccupied with ourselves one way or the other."

So like I said, I've been moored at the dock of "appropriate smallness" for some weeks now and it is revolutionizing my life.  No great miracles or anything, just a peace inducing state with a lack of striving, be it mental, emotional, physical.  Just living in the moment, making the most of each day seeking to build into others while rising and falling to the rhythm of life, be it catching a tidal wave one day and hanging on for the ride or just kicking back and splashing in the shallows.

Life is good.  It is especially good when you discover the secret to being high on life has absolutely nothing to do with being high on yourself but has everything in the world to do with discovering your appropriate smallness.

These are the Moments

That I have to make time to capture.  Can’t seem to make time to capture my own thoughts in print, but swing on over here to get a glimpse into the everyday goings on around here.  This is what I’m doin’… raisin’ these kids and lovin’ this man and falling into bed exhausted but happy at the end of the day.