Monday Meditation: 5 D's

Duty & Drudgery. Desire & Daily.

One of the books I'm currently reading is Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges. The women in my small group have just started going through it together, and it's been a book I've wanted to read for quite some time. Yeah for the "requirement" to now read it! :-) Today's meditation comes from one of the introductory chapters.

We are commanded to put sin to death. It is our duty to do so. But duty without desire soon produces drudgery. And it is the truth of the gospel, reaffirmed in our hearts daily, that puts desire into our duty. It is the gospel that stokes the fire of our motivation to deal with our respectable and subtle sins. It is the gospel that motivates us to seek to be in our daily experiences what we are in our standing before God.

(p. 36)

Over the years, I've had opportunity to have a few deep spiritual conversation in which I stepped on one of my soap boxes...that I dearly wish I would remember to stand on for myself every day! Faith is a choice we make each day. It goes along with the oft-heard quote Bridges mentions, "Preach the gospel to yourself every day." Yes, there is the initial step of faith in which salvation is brought to our souls by believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin and death. But then there is the daily choice to have faith that Jesus Christ WILL continue His sanctifying work, ridding your soul's soil of the dead roots of sin.

Following are some questions that convict me -- I wish I thought about them every day!

-How often do I remember that I am not alone in my battle against sin? That I have been FREED from sin and do NOT have to succumb to it? That in my own power, I will fail over and over and over? That if I am led by the Spirit, I will walk by the Spirit? ::ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch:: ...ouch.

-As I move throughout my day, how often do I even think about Christ and what He did on the cross? Do I remind myself of the finality of His death and resurrection? That I am eternally forgiven for sins I haven't even committed yet?

-How often do I remember that He could come back for me in the very next breath I take? Or that I could meet Him in my sleep tonight? Now, think of that answer in light of how sinful I am each day.

-How often do I remember that the Holy Spirit is living WITHIN me, ready and willing to help me overcome the impatience, anger, laziness, selfishness, and pride that well up at a moment's notice?

-When I pray, why do I so often pray as if I'm talking to a God who is "out there" far away in heaven? If the Holy Spirit is within me, God is closer than "near" me! I think it is very unfortunate how many (including myself) are programmed to pray to God, as in God the Father. How often do I pray to God the Son, praising Him for what He did for me? How often do I pray to God the Holy Spirit, thanking Him for His comfort and guidance and asking for increasing conviction and purification?

-If God the Spirit is dwelling within me, why do I not see the ugliness of my sin all the more? Why do I not think this each day and use it to put desire in my duty to dig up and throw out the sin in my soul? The Most Holy of the universe living in an ugly, unkempt garden with unfathomable potential? Get to work, woman!!

Duty is done much more quickly and completely when desire is behind it!!!

Remembering Christ has saved me once for all and the Holy Spirit is walking with me in sanctification SHOULD put desire in my duty to eradicate sin. Battling sin is far to often a drudgery for me...because I don't remember my Savior often enough. It's too easy for life to choke out Life. Husband, kids, meals, laundry, dust, germs, appointments, friends, service, events, TV, email, Facebook, packing, lack of sleep, hormones, SIN... My life is packed. My brain seemingly overloaded. Or is it just not organized properly?

Enter the 5th D.

discipline.

::groooooaaaan:: I loath the word. Only because I know JUST how important it is to life and godliness. And how HARD it is to obtain.

I need to discipline my mind to remember the Gospel each day. Discipline my brain into thinking each day on what God has done for me, that I am already free from sin, that the Holy Spirit within me will help me choose righteousness each time I am tempted to sin, that getting rid of sin should be a daily desirous duty rather than a drudgery.

And I betcha that once I, with the Spirit's help, can discipline myself to remember the Gospel each day and have daily faith that Christ will continue His work in me, sin will fall OUT of place and everything else will fall INTO place. Where sin is absent, holy freedom reigns.

Rather than allowing life to choke out Life, I need to let Life run my life. Daily.

**EDIT**

Ok, so I wrote this post right after I read the opening quote. Then I finished reading the chapter. I was shocked to read the very same thoughts I had put in this post, especially concerning the Holy Spirit. What a beautiful affirmation of my thought process. See? Proof that He is living within me, helping me to grow. :-)

And one quote that made me laugh outloud...because it's soooo true: "If we are prone to sinful anger, there will be circumstances that trigger our anger." HA! Thanks for the three kids, Lord. ;-) He sure does know exactly what we need to sanctify us where we need sanctifyin' - amen?