Discipline before delight

In my last blog, I mentioned that our YWAM computer had died and I am very happy to tell you that a generous supporter has donated not one but two new computers to our team! We are blown away. So, no more excuses for not posting...

I was thinking today about my younger years in Youth With A Mission. In the fervor of joining a missionary group, there is much new excitement and feelings of spiritual intensity. You can tend to get a bit ahead of yourself. It seems our mission's strength is that we put young people out on the field right away. The energy of youth and the zeal of fresh experience with God is a wonderful propeller for the gospel message.

Our mission's weakness is that we put young people out on the field right away. Without the temperance of wisdom and study sometimes things do not go great. I've seen both of these in action...many times on the same outreach!

I remember a speaker that came through our training campus down in Texas and he spoke to all of us about having grace for ourselves and one another. He talked about not beating yourself up if you miss a day or so of personal prayer time. And then he said something that really sticks with me to this day...personal prayer must be a discipline before it becomes a delight.

This is right where I am 15 years later. Having grace for myself after missing the mark on daily prayer and scripture reading and coming to the understanding that it will not just happen magically. I have to make space for it. Discipline is purposefully killing our laziness...the tendency to let down.

Something we've been saying a lot lately is that it's OK to have an off day every now and again, we're going to live forever. But you can't let your off days pull you along. With your spirit tuned to God's Spirit, you must tell you mind to let your emotions and your body know just who is in charge. With grace for the times we fall short, we must throw off our laziness and get to it. Our time here is short and there is much to do.