A Framework for Faith/Spiritual Disciplines

God revealed His being to us through His wrath: He scattered us among foreign peoples, even to the end of the earth...

  - Patrick, Confession (British, 5th century)

"And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the LORD your God..."

  - Deuteronomy 11.2

Spiritual disciplines are of two sorts: active and passive. The active disciplines are those God prescribes in His Word, which He expects us willingly and eagerly to take up so that we might grow in the grace of the Lord.

These include the disciplines of Scripture, prayer, worship, fasting, solitude, and so forth. All these every true believer will embrace and engage, in a manner appropriate to his or her condition in the faith, in order to draw closer to the Lord and meet Him in His glory. We actively take up these disciplines and persevere in them day by day.

Passive disciplines are those God sends or allows because they are what we require in order to make progress in holiness (cf. Heb. 12.3-11). We would not norrmally sign up for these: deprivation, suffering, persecution, loss, affliction, chastening, and so forth. But God knows that we need these from time to time in order to overcome some blockage in our relationship with Him and find our way back to the pursuit of holiness (2 Cor. 7.1).

In Patrick's case, God's discipline was extreme. Patrick frittered away his youth and scorned his faith and those who sought to teach him. God sent him to Ireland for six years to serve as a slave, where, through many fearful days and nights, he was able to learn about the Lord and to discover the Lord's leading for His life.

God calls us to consider His discipline - His wrath. The more we realize Who He is and what He is capable of doing, as well as how He regards recalcitrant sinners, the more we understand what holiness, justice, and discipline are like, as well as how merciful and forgiving our God actually is.

We learn about the Lord through His discipline. We know we're going to experience it, so let us prepare even now to make the most of it when it comes. Begin with thanksgiving, continue by earnestly seeking the Lord and wrestling with Him. Listen for His searching Spirit to convict and correct you, and confess your sins with repentance before charting a course for renewal before the Lord (Ps. 119.59, 60).

Get your mind in gear to respond to the Lord's passive discipline in a way that will enable you to know Him better, to discern His will and purpose for your life, and to grow in His mercy and grace.

Such discipline may be passive, but it's not pleasant. If we prepare for it in the good times, we'll grow through it when it actually descends.

Today at The Fellowship of Ailbe

Friends, we hope these daily (5 days) reflections are a benefit to your walk with the Lord. If so, we'd love to hear from you. Send us your responses, your prayer requests, and your questions about Celtic Christianity or the life of faith. We'll do our best to respond in a timely manner.

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