Basic Beliefs: Discipleship - AFC 1997
Matt. 6:25--34; Ps. 37:7:10; Haggai 2:4--5; Gen. 3:1--19
Discipleship means taking time to not be busy.
Discipleship is persistent devotion that takes advantage of every opportunity to know God better and live in a way that is faithful to that relationship.
On our journey of discipleship we sometimes feel like there is a tug of war going on inside us between worry and trust.
Worrying is the opposite of showing trust in God.
The central point of the gospel is that we are loved by God just the way we are. This is the basis for grand security.
Busyness - been there, done that (still doing that)
It is, oh, so easy to be caught up in and consumed by the present. We need time to remember the past and to open ourselves again to the new thing that God can do. Rest and reflection are required work in light of the busyness and cacophony of daily life. --- Do you agree?
"Be still and know that I am God."
Dealing with inner conflicts
STRESS -- anxiety about meeting expectations, filling roles often defined by others.
Part of discipleship is facing the inner conflicts that tend to tie us up. It may not be other people who exasperate us as much as our own conflicting loyalties. Self-critical evaluation can be painful, because we may have to change our assessment of the past.
We often prefer the seeming security of habits over careful seeking of the truth.
The spiritual discipline of critical examination helps us to reinterpret our roles lest we become mired in the past. The knowledge we seek is what God intends for us and the world now.
This discipline is "safe" as we "rest" in God. Our final security is in him, so we need not be guarded, anxious about giving up our self-deception or the approval of others.
By taking the time for self-examination in the light of grace, we are able to find more of God's perspective on our situation and find resolution to our conflicts.
Come to the garden alone. Take time to smell the grace.
Let it clear your head and soften your heart.