When it comes to discipline in our finances I truly believe an attitude of simplicity must come first and foremost. Richard Foster lists simplicity as a spiritual discipline, saying it is an inward reality that results in an outward life-style.
Foster says, "We crave things we neither need nor enjoy...we are made to feel ashamed to wear clothes or drive cars until they are worn out. The mass media have convinced us that to be out of step with fashion is to be out of step with reality. It is time to awaken to the fact that conformity to a sick society is to be sick." Pg. 80 Celebration of Discipline.
We would all agree that the American Dream is becoming an American Financial Nightmare. To buy more stuff and better cars and bigger houses is creating so much stress and unhappiness on us all. We have to step back and look at ancient ideas like simplicity and discipline with a fresh perspective.
Simplicity is about ownership- who owns your stuff, or maybe better put- "Who owns you?"
If I own everything then I deserve more and more and am never satisfied. But if i can truly embrace the idea that God owns everything even my most prized possessions (my wife and kids), then I will be a better steward. Because we are all better at stewardship than ownership, because the idea being a stewards connects us to Eden and our creation. The idea of ownership connects us to our Fall.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
I stand at the door and knock
Jesus first said the words, "I stand at the door and knock."
I know my experiences have explained this verse as an invitation to the sinner to enter a relationship with the divine. What I have recently understood is that this verse was written to a group of already convinced. What's the difference?
Big difference in my mind if you understand this verse for evangelism or discipliship or as we would say at our church, is this verse Win or Train? If this verse is about evangelism it doesn't really apply to me anymore. If I look at the original context it is a very applicable verse to me.
To look at this verse from the perspective that as a believer in Christ, I have put him oustide my house and he must stand at the door and invite himself in is very sobering.
Spiritual Disciplines are the daily practices to make sure he doesn't stand outside, and if he is outside, they are the catalyst to invite him back into the house so we can dine together.
These have been lacking in my life for sure. I have to make sure I don't put my Christ outside.
I know my experiences have explained this verse as an invitation to the sinner to enter a relationship with the divine. What I have recently understood is that this verse was written to a group of already convinced. What's the difference?
Big difference in my mind if you understand this verse for evangelism or discipliship or as we would say at our church, is this verse Win or Train? If this verse is about evangelism it doesn't really apply to me anymore. If I look at the original context it is a very applicable verse to me.
To look at this verse from the perspective that as a believer in Christ, I have put him oustide my house and he must stand at the door and invite himself in is very sobering.
Spiritual Disciplines are the daily practices to make sure he doesn't stand outside, and if he is outside, they are the catalyst to invite him back into the house so we can dine together.
These have been lacking in my life for sure. I have to make sure I don't put my Christ outside.
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