Live Disciplined

Caprock Canyon, Photo by Sherry Childers

Titus 2: 11-12 (NIV), “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,…”

Mighty warriors for the kingdom, I pray all has been well and your days and hearts filled and overflowing with God’s abundance.  As we wrap up another spring semester and move into summer, it has been impressed upon my heart to elaborate on a few points to keep in mind throughout the next several months. 

During the summer, and especially if your previous fall and spring have been busy and overloaded, it is easy to want to tune out all areas of your life that are not related to a good time and ultimate relaxation.  Please note, this is normal and honestly, my past nine months have also been very busy so my first thought as we transition to summer was to take the next few weeks and even months just to relax and let my guard down. 

I want to relate this back to the passage above from Titus that states we have been taught to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions.  By no means am I saying having fun, enjoying family and taking vacations are ungodly or worldly, but I am saying in these times it is more important than ever to remain disciplined and in God’s Word.  During times of relaxation and vacation, it can be easy to be misled to think we can take a break from God’s Word and just enjoy life as it comes our way.  I do agree, there are times we should sit in God’s presence and allow His sovereignty to pour out upon us, but please keep in mind, this is in addition to remaining steadfast in the reading and study of His Word.  It is during times of relaxation the study of God’s Word can become an anointing of restoration and healing within our spirits and souls.

When I think over the next few months, Proverbs 25:28 in the amplified comes to mind.  Proverbs 25:28 states, “Like a city that is broken down and without walls (leaving it unprotected) is a man who has no self-control over his spirit (and sets himself up for trouble).”  When we are on vacation and taking some time away from our busy lives, it is important to relax and get some rest, but it is just as important to stay disciplined and continue to take time for prayer and the study of God’s Word.  A total disregard for your relationship with the LORD during any period of your life could allow for yourself and those you have been given authority to be unprotected, setting yourselves up for evil influence and manipulation.

It is also during these times I want to bring our attention to the last sentence within our anchor verse from Titus.  That last sentence reads, “upright and godly lives in this present age,…”.  This is important as the evil one and his influence over this world has been successful in stealing the relevance of the “present” from our lives.  Matthew 6:34 tells us, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”  This world and the current days we live in if not careful can cause us to put off to tomorrow what should be attended to today.  We hear or even say things like, well when this happens I can do this, or when I am older, or have more money, or whatever the justification, I believe we can fall into scenarios where we believe our success in a circumstance is determined by the environments or surroundings we create or live in.

Please note, if God calls you to action, He will provide.  If God lays upon your heart to move toward a certain calling or action, it is not our job to define the how or look at the current circumstances to reason whether it is possible.  Instead, it is our responsibility to step out in faith, adhere to our calling and be obedient.  Not based upon what we see, but more importantly based upon the faith we have in the One that created each of us for His purpose and calling.  This is where the last sentence within Titus has great relevance, we are called to “live in this present age…”, called to live our lives to the fullest sharing the Gospel in word and deed today, in the moment. 

If left with a lack of discipline, our days, our spirits can be left to long for tomorrow and things yet to come rather than live in this present time God has given each of us for His glory.  As we head into the summer months, I encourage you to be vigilant and remain in prayer, reading and the study of God’s Word as you enjoy your time and celebrate His Grace in this present day, the day He has provided for your God anointed ministry.

Be blessed and may your heart never fear, your souls never waiver and your strength never fail!  Shalom!