A Framework for Faith/Spiritual Disciplines

Gloom devours or consumes the soul.

  - Finnian, Penitential (Irish, 6th century)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

  - Philippians 4.4

It is a distinctive of the Christian faith that it leads us along paths which are inaccessible to natural men. Put another way, Christian life is the art of living above the natural, living supernaturally.

It is easy enough for us to lapse into anxiousness and despair. Grumbling and complaining, blame-laying and fault-finding - these come easily to us. No one has to teach us these fetid arts. We come by them naturally.

The more we give into these, the greater the damage that is inflicted on our souls. Mere natural living saps the strength of true spirituality, leaving the Christian no better for his faith than his unsaved neighbor.

But the Christian need not yield to such gloomy affections and dismal practices. Redeemed through Jesus Christ, we have been purchased from sin, liberated from the limitations of the flesh, and reborn in our spirits. The Spirit of God lives in us, and He longs to stretch us into the shape of Jesus. All He needs is provocation from us, and He will get to work.

Provocation comes through acts of faith, measures of hope, trust, and obedience, taken in the face of circumstances and situations in which a natural man might tend to despair or complaining. Instead, the Christian gives thanks and rejoices in the Lord, singing with joy to be redeemed, and acting in obedience, to be lifted above his circumstances into the realm of the eternal here and now.

Rejoice when everything says, "Despair!" and you will stir the Spirit of God to action within your soul. He knows how to revive. He knows how to console. He knows how to bring to life gifts and fruit and power for supernatural living. And He stands ever ready to do so when we provoke Him through simple acts of faith.

Like rejoicing and giving thanks, come what may.

Today at The Fellowship of Ailbe

ReVision - One more example of relativist ethics.

The Pastor's Fellowship - Pastors, there is still time to register for next week's free webinar. Go to the website and indicate the section you'd like to attend. We'll send you the materials to help you prepare for the discussion of what it means to be saved.

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.