Spiritual Disciplines: Piecing it Together

There's been times in my life when I feel like I'm just fighting against the wall. I'm not making progress. Nothing seems to change. Now, I'm not one to shy away from hard work. I've held a few different jobs over the years and worked hard at each of them. I don't mind if I have to dig a ditch, but when it seems that all I do is dig a ditch one day and fill it in the next, it starts to wear a person down a bit. I want to know that I'm making a difference, even if it is a small difference to some, I know that to others I have a chance to make all the difference in the world.

So why do I feel stuck sometimes? Well, for starters, we sometimes have a hard time seeing the progress we are making. We cut ourselves short, we can be overly critical, and we don't see the positive impact we are having on others. It's so easy to pick apart my work or my day and call everything a mistake. I could over analyze myself to death if I'm not careful! You need to know that you're making a difference in ways you may not realize in the moment. I think back to Christians I still look up to to this very day and I realize I haven't told them yet what a difference they've made in my life. Know that when you seek the Lord, others will follow.

Other times, I feel stuck because I'm just not getting the kind of traction that I should. I've got worries, doubts, and fears bogging me down and keeping me from being all that Christ has called me to be. Some of us want to progress on the path of discipleship to rise to the call of growth given by the Hebrews author: Hebrews 5:12 "By now you should be teachers. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the first things you need to know from God’s Word. You still need milk instead of solid food." This is a strong admonishment and one that we should take seriously.

This morning, we'll look at one technique necessary for progressing as disciples: building. We'll look at how we can start combining these practices we have been learning about in ways that equip us to face the battles life throws at us.