hello people. jaynna here
have you ever thought about the ants? the ones that crawl around on the ground? yeah me either, really. until recently
for some time now, i have been asking the Lord to help me build discipline.
discipline sucks. it takes a good look at your feelings and then says “yes that is exactly what we’re not going to do-what feeeeeeeels good.” and so naturally, i’ve been asking God to increase that good ole discipline in me.
and i can still confirm that it does indeed suck but i can also now confirm how special it is.
discipline is choice. when you do something you don’t want to do, you do it because you’re choosing to do it. so when these little tiny ants are gathering what it is that ants gather for their community of other little ants, they do it out of choosing to live. if they “take time off” of their discipline of gathering their food then they’re causing death in their community and in their own life. same for me. same for us. when i “take time off” i’m forfeiting my relationship with my Savior and i’m also forfeiting “life” to the people i influence. and we all have some sort of relationship with God, good or bad, and all carry some sort of influence to people, good or bad. so just how rude and inconsiderate of us to take time off. consider the ants! they got it down.
proverbs 6 is what started me on this. i was holding my Bible and said to God, “where should i turn to?” (i am not the best at Bible reading; confession. i’m growing ok) and He said proverbs 6 and i said ok bro let’s go. don’t get too excited, little did i know that this whole chapter is about not being lazy but being disciplined and committed. and that if you’re not these things: “poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.” v11. okay God. i see what you’re trying say. this time “see” – the past 3ish weeks He’d been “speaking” it to me. and i’d say yes. but that’s all. just a word. i was practically lying to God. and so i had my Bible hoping to avoid all this discipline stuff He was trying to step me into and He sends me to proverbs 6 and then is just pretty quiet after that. letting (making) me soak in this Word. turd. dramatic, sorry.
and so i’ve been “considering the ants” and trying with every ounce of my being to be disciplined and wake up and get in the Word and pray and yada yada yada. and it is so fun. i fail a lot. fall right on my face a lot. but the Lord just picks me up and says go again you lil dingaling you. and we go again.
*insert transition here**
zeal is my all time favorite word. i’ve been trying to figure out it’s entirety for some time now. discipline is a part of it. zeal isn’t really a natural thing. to be zealous for God doesn’t come as an epiphany, it comes with work.
zeal is eagerness. to be eager to better yourself at something, you first have to have experience in that something. like softball. the more i played softball and learned the game, the more zealous and eager i became at bettering myself in the sport and learning more about it. the more tiiiiiime i spent in it, the more infatuated i became by it.
i hate to compare something so small as a game to the Creator of the Universe but hey He meets us where we’re at, am i right?? so “same” (word used loosely) with God; the more time i spend with Him, the more infatuated and eager i become toward Him. the more i learn. the more zeeeeaaaal is developed.
but i think the most zeal is developed when i spend time with Him when i don’t waaaant to. c’mon now.
back to softball. when i didn’t waaaaant to practice but went-those are some practices i remember vividly. when i’d get tired from practicing and spending time in the sport, but keep going, that’s when i improved the most, when i learned the most. because i was out of my element of desire and into this new element of choice. of discipline.
consider the ants.
same (used so loosely) with God. when i spend time with Him when i don’t want to (how horrible does that sound? but let’s be real) thaaaaat is when i become ingrained with what He has to teach me. with what He has to say. small or big, it has a much bigger impact when i choooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooose to be there with Him. and “practice.” that’s when He really rocks my socks off. when i receive crazy revelations. when i’m out of myyyyy element and into His.
*insert another transition**
there’s a song called ‘extravagant’ by bethel music that has a verse that says, “You stopped at nothing to prove You were for us.”
so now, who is the carrier of the example we are to follow? yes that’s our bro Jesus. so if He is our example, then to follow His example is to do what He does. soooo, if He stopped at nothing to prove He was for us, ok now our move. weeeeee stop at nothing to prove we are for Him.
consider the ants.
Jesus didn’t stop when He didn’t feeeeeeeeeel like pressing on and drinking the cup of the Lord’s will. no He chugged the cup and said, “not my will, but Yours be done.”
because Jesus knew what He would be forfeiting if He “took time off.”
*in deep haunting voice* consider the ants.
so now my move again. this cup sitting here before me, that God giiiiiives me the option to drink; news flash, He will not force you to do anything-that freewill thing. yeah. what am i going to do with that? He’s inviting me to choose who’s will i want to follow. mine, where i sleep in until 10 and watch friends all day or His where i get up before the sun (like someone with a goal. c’mon somebody) and get in His presence and press into His will and chuuuuuuuug that cup. my choice. my choice.
consider the ants.
i am trying. ^^ i didn’t know they had anything to teach me when they were all in my food in cambodia. fulllllll circle
so if you’re at a point or when you get to this point, where choosing to spend time with God is the seemingly-ist least appetizing thing to do, consider the ants and chug your cup and think about all that you’re forfeiting when you choose against spending that time. and think about if you do do it (do do) how beautiful the fruit will be that you just bore. God blesses obedience. discipline is obedience. (: happy wednesday. the best dog on earth.
