Sweet Communion

I've been walking a road of attempted discipline in certain areas; I wish I could say I've mastered living a disciplined life however I cannot. It got me to thinking, often times, when you are striving so hard to stick to something you know is right, and then you fail to hold true to said task, shame easily jumps on your bandwagon taking you down an entirely different road. It's generally a road very far from the disciplined life you desire.

We have a point system that we use in our household that is based on the fruits of the Spirit. So everything regarding chores, behavior, character building, it all stems from the following scripture: Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

This verse has been ingrained in my mind since starting this up with our girls, I think it's influencing me more than them! It's the "self-control" that I always have to pause on. It's difficult to exhibit self-control for me. Wether it's in regards to my attitude, the things I say, the time I waste doing nonsensical things, the food I mindlessly eat, and the list can go on and on. Hence my road of attempted discipline I'm on.

Yesterday though, God began to give me some insight into this road I'm walking that is bringing some freedom to my soul, and I hope it may help someone else as well.

Sustained Discipline is simply Sustained Communion.

That's what God dropped in my heart. That simple phrase. Sustained Discipline is simply Sustained Communion.

We strive to conquer so many different things in our lives, claiming victory with each positive step we take. And we absolutely should claim victory as it's promised to those in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 15:55.) But what happens when we take a step back? What happens to our resolve when we veer a little off of our disciplined road? If you are at all like me, (and if you're not, that's cool, but you should get big hair, just throwin that out there) when I take a step back or veer a tad from my disciplined road, I'll forget the strides that I have made, beat myself up, and just continue going backwards from the intended road I know I should be on because in my eyes, failure breeds shame. But really, that is nothing more than a lie from the devil himself. Failure should be a spring board to success, something I can learn from. Not something that sends me into a pity party of whoa is me because I flunked self-control today. Anyone?

We sometimes think of Victory as a "One Stop Shop," as if we only get one shot as this victory thing and if we blow it then we might as well forget it and go back to the thing causing us struggle. Victory is a process. Do we immediately have victory over the situation that God is highlighting to us? If you are in Christ, absolutely. But Philippians 2:12 tells us to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling." 1 John 5:4 says, "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."

So that tells me that I have to continually work out my salvation, I have to continually work out my victory. Is it mine the moment I ask? Fo sho. But it's my faith that has to work for it. I have to keep putting the hand to the plow and WORK IT OUT.

Sustained Discipline is simply Sustained Communion.

If I had no weak areas, I'd be less likely to have to seek the face of Jesus on a continual basis. Of course I'd go to Him in praise and thanksgiving, learning and searching His Word. But there is something to be said about "needing" Him on a daily basis. I need Him. Oh how I need Him. I need Jesus to help me with my weak areas. I need Him to strengthen me as I walk this Victorious road.

So the more that we walk this road of Sustained Discipline, in whatever area(s) God is calling you to be disciplined in, we have to know that it's keeping us in sweet Communion with our Father. You may take a step back, the pause button may be pressed, or perhaps you took a full sprint backwards and feel so far off course that you don't know where to begin. Start with Communion. Commune with your Lord. Acknowledge your need for Him. Call me crazy, but I think He likes to be needed. My kids better need me all their ever lovin days or somebody's getting a beat down! The minute they stop needing me is, well, it's a minute I don't want to think about. Imagine what God feels when we stop needing Him.

Could it be that your struggle is a blessing in disguise? Because perhaps, just perhaps, without that weak area, without the need for discipline, maybe we would not cling to Jesus quite as much. And after all, there's no better place to be, than clinging to Jesus for your very next step in victory.

So today, I'm no longer calling this my "attempted road to discipline." No. I live a life of sustained discipline. Will I mess up, delaying my progress? Yep. But it's just a moment to commune with someone who is able to handle my delay...