On the World Race, it seems like everyone is getting these 'huge revelations'. They come back from each month with these big 'WHOA' stories about what God is teaching them. So I went into this month in Thailand thinking, 'Where's MY revelation?!' LOL. Well, ask and you shall receive.
The following are some musings that hopefully will coherently explain to you the 'revelation' God gave me this month: Sometimes we have to REDEFINE words in order to really understand what God wants us to do with them. For me, this month, the words I had to redefine were: "discipline" & "humility."
You see, for me, 'discipline' has always been
a 4 letter word.
I hate that word.
Why? Because I've always felt like I don't have it. Or at least 'enough' of it.
And I know it's a good thing! It produces great results.
And I just don't have a lot of it.
I don't work out every day. I don't do 'quiet time' every day.
In fact, sometimes I feel my only consistent thing is my inconsistency!
And whenever I 'get hard on myself' about it, I beat myself for a little while and then I usually say, 'Well, yeah. I could be more discipled, but I like my life, and God loves me, so who cares!" And then brush it under the rug until it rears it's ugly head again in the future.
That's how it started this month.
I was having this little episode about why I am 'not discipled' and how I would like to be 'more disciplined' and I shared with my team about it.
In that same conversation I referenced a podcast I had listened to that day from my church at home (J1Ten). Immediately, my team leader Sidney Ann said to me, 'You listened to a podcast today? Christina, do you know how long I have meaning to listen to a podcast? THAT is discipline!'
To which I replied, 'Well, I wasn't planning on listening to it. It just popped up when I opened my computer and I figured, I have 29 minutes to listen to this'.
To which she, wisely pointed out: "THAT's just it, Christina. When God pops up in your life, you make time for Him. When he sends you teammates to encourage, strangers to befriend, podcasts to listen to – you drop what you are doing and you listen."
I said:
"Well, yeah- I mean of course I drop what I am doing
if I feel like it's something God wants me to do.
I figure whatever God has for me to do
is definitely more important than whatever I was planning on doing!"
And she said,
"THAT IS DISCIPLINE!"
So I realized, there is such a thing as, "spontaneous discipline" –and I've got it! 😉
Cool, eh?
When I shared the story with my Dad later, he asked me, 'What do you think the root word of the word 'disciple' is?'
I hesitated and tried, "disciple?"
"Exactly. Jesus didn't whip his disciples into shape. He discipled them. We humans are the ones who turned the word into something harsh and rigid."
I realized that Christ meant discipline as a way to pour into people, let God pour into us, and grow into who has for us to become.
WOW, huh? I sure like that definition a LOT better than the 4 letter word it was before!
"For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, & discipline!"
-2 Timothy 1:7
The other word I redefined was 'humility'. I learned it has 2 definitions. That there is a difference between being 'humble in the flesh' and being 'humble in the spirit'. And its important to make that distinction –and I never had before this month.
But I'm leaving that for the next post…stayed tuned!
Before I go, I wanna wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Sending you lots of love, blessings, and smiles from Thailand!
I really am having the time of my life,
growing more than I ever expected,
and just feel SO incredibly blessed to do what I am doing.
Thank you so much to all of you who have prayed for me, encouraged me, and supported me in this adventure of love.
I love you. Your Father in Heaven adores you.
And His love is shining through you, through me, and out into the world.
Thank you for being a vessel of LOVE!
xoxoxoxo
Love, Christina
