Have I mentioned how much I love my Monday/Wednesday mornings? Allow me to feel just a little guilty that I drop Dekker off at preschool, then come home in time for Tucker's morning nap. Then, I turn my iPod on, which I recently updated for the first time since 2010, and do "other things"-- like Bible study, cleaning the kitchen in peace, laundry-- and sometimes I institute a "30 minutes of quiet" time. Meaning I sit quietly for 30 minutes with no TV, music, phone, etc. (Dekker rarely naps in the afternoons on the days I am at home with him, so I am learning to cherish that 30 minutes.) Anyway, I do sometimes feel guilty that Dekker is gone on my mornings "off"-- but I'm over it because he LOVES preschool and I am confident that I am doing the best thing for him. All of this to say that I am reading through a Bible study, and the recent topic has really been good for me. The title is "The unDisciplined life."
As I have read through these passages, I have been thinking about three things in the back of my head: My nutrition, My prayer life, My language/gossip/building others up. The text has helped me shape each of these areas as a spiritual battle between what I want (my flesh) and what I know to be the best answer (the Spirit). I am reminded in scripture that I am only human to sometimes give into "the flesh"-- but that doing so consistently has consequences.
Here is a little bit of what has stuck out to me:
* God can change every lack of discipline in our lives and be the strength we have not known but always needed.
* Our ONLY RESCUE from the war in our flesh comes from God through Jesus Christ. Jesus is our only answer!
* God is bigger than whatever we've given control of our lives. He can change our nature and take control of our compulsions.
* I want to live fully engaged. Learning to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and then obeying God with ALL of my heart.
* Becoming a more disciplined woman is a process and will require training.
* God allows my lack of discipline because it keeps me running to Him and relying on His strength. A holy-dependence is a step toward life-long growth. We must maintain an intimate, consistent dependence on the Spirit of God inside us.
* The fruit of an undisciplined life looks a lot like the life of the lazy-- and that path leads to a dead end.
* When we allow ourselves to indulge we also set ourselves up for the consequences (they are inevitable).
* People engage in undisciplined behaviors because they don't like themselves. (Interesting.)
* The Holy Spirit gives strength to weary bodies and discouraged hearts.
* Luckily and thankfully, God works through weary women all the time.
and finally...
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