The first kind of spiritual disciplines are the ones
we choose. We understand these disciplines. The
reason why we choose spiritual disciplines, often during the Lenten Season, is
because we have a heavenly Father who sees us, who longs to draw us close and
who wants to bless us with his presence, his compassion and he wants to grant us
the grace to grow in our personal relationship with him.
It is not easy to set aside more time, energy and money
for prayer, worship, meditation and sacrificial outreach to those in need.
But we agree that these disciplines we choose are
never as hard as the spiritual
disciplines we do not choose.
Jesus teaches about spiritual disciplines we do not
choose for ourselves in Matthew 5. In Matthew
5:11 he says, "God blesses you when
people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil
things against you because you are my followers." We never choose these disciplines for our
spiritual growth - yet our Lord allows these episodes and events into our
lives. Why would he allow trials of many kinds in our lives?
First of all, the spiritual disciplines you don't
choose are described by James in James 1: 2 – 9 as trials of many kinds. They come in very personal shapes and sizes.
But they have this in common: they test
our faith. We are asking questions like, "What possible value could
this situation have for me? " And
our faith is tested!
Now, how do we deal with tests we did not choose in
order to grow into the spiritual maturity God desires in our lives? There are at least three ways we can respond.
Sometimes we rebel!
The
first way we could respond to trials and tribulations is to fight against it,
to get angry with people, with the world – with anything and anybody who had
something to do with this. Yet, there is
no comfort, joy or growth on this path.
Or we can
respond by resigning. You start to
believe that you are powerless in this trial and simply surrender to its
painful reality. And this leads to a
sense of subjection without hope that brings despair.
Or you can rejoice, as Jesus suggests in Mt 5: 11 and James in James 1:2.
Jesus says, God blesses you when people mock you and
persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you.
Here is how he says you deal with that: "Rejoice and be glad." I want you to face that trial by a power of remaining
glad - the power of rejoicing!
James says in James 1:2, "Whenever you face trials of many kinds, the testing of your
faith, this is what you do: "Consider it pure joy."
It is a hard journey, but not impossible! And it takes
you to a place of "choosing what
you did not choose."
It is painful, it hurts and it remains hard.
But you say nonetheless "I choose to accept this situation as a situation in which God can
work, in which I believe God's love cannot be stopped and he can work through this
for my good and for his glory.
James teaches that because we choose to grow
spiritually during this time of trial and tribulation and testing of our faith,
it will bring us to a place of maturing spiritually and we will receive the
gift of perseverance as a result of this choice.
And suddenly you notice an insightful difference on
how you look at what happens to you! Instead
of merely enduring it, you receive the freedom to grow as a disciple of Christ
and to become stronger through God’s gift of perseverance.
Instead of something being taken from you, by choosing
to grow within a situation you did not choose as a discipline, you see that
because you have to mature through it, it is becomes a gift – a gift that makes
you glad and rejoicing!
What
was a dark prison without a door becomes your paradise in the presence of the
Lord who sustains you, matures you - and most of all, loves you till the
journey’s end!
