Saturday, January 23, 2010

Choices, Decisions, and Discipline

Sometimes a thought gets stuck in my head and I can't shake it. It pops up at random times for no apparent reason at all. It starts as a miscellaneous thought and then begins to develop into an "understanding". That's when I know the Holy Spirit wants to teach me something. I love these moments of revelation because they remind me that He is real, He is present, and He is very interested in me and my spiritual growth.

So what happened was . . .

About two months ago, I began to think a lot about CHOICES. It all started in the area of healthy diet and exercise. (I guess I was focusing on making better food choices.) One day in my prayer time I asked the Father if He had any thoughts on the subject and if so, would He please give me some insight.


Note to Self: Don't ever ask the Creator of the Universe if He has any thoughts on any subject unless you are prepared for an avalanche! Oh my goodness! (I thought He might say something simple like "lay off the soda". I wasn't prepared for an entire life lesson. Geez!)

Thoughts and insight began to come. All of a sudden I became keenly aware of my choices. I started to realize with deeper understanding how my choices impact my life (and my eternity). And I became more aware of God's participation (or lack of) in my choices. He also began to teach me more about DECISIONS and DISCIPLINE. For the past two months I have been trying to take notes as my teacher (the Holy Spirit) has revealed truth to me. He has had to go very s-l-o-w-l-y as my human, stubborn and sinful mind resists the process of renewal. One thing is certain; this is a very important subject to the Lord.

Romans 12:2 (NLT) – Don’t copy the behavior and customs of  this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

I know this lesson is far from completed. In fact, I have only scratched the surface. I am struggling to grasp the higher ways of God and let go of traditional, worldly thinking. It’s not easy, folks! It’s a process.

At any rate, in the next few posts, I will attempt to share some of the insights I have gained. To some readers, this stuff may be "old news". To others, perhaps this will be a good “refresher”. Or to still others, maybe you will experience a few "ah-ha" moments. Either way I would love to hear your thoughts along the way.

More to come,