Spiritual Disciplines

What really is the nature of spiritual discipline? Is it entirely our hard work? Or is it dependent on God?

I've been reading quite a few books as well as Scripture on this matter and want to conclude (for the time being) that it is 100% grace from God. It's initiated by God and only through the Lord Jesus could we experience the fullest benefit of it for our spiritual growth and victorious living (Rom 7:25).

At the same time, it is 100% hard work by us. That is why it's called a discipline where we put into constant practice to develop holy/godly habits to respond to the loving invitation and calling from God to be more Christlike. The spiritual discipline needs to be in place so that it helps us battle the destructive habits (or sin, as Dallas Willard argued) formed over the years that we would naturally do without thinking.

Further reading:
Dallas Willard - Renovation of the Heart, and The Divine Conspiracy
Richard Foster - Celebration of the Discipline

The awe factor of God

Recently I started reading (actually listening to the audio version of) Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love". Some people think that he's extreme and crazy, but he has strived to live his life according to God's call. One of the radical things he did is to leave the church he founded some 16 years ago without a clear plan of what's next. With a family of 6, the Chan's have been waiting for God's guidance of their next step. After a few months, they are now departing for Asia without knowing what they will do actually.

In the first chapter of the book, he talks about the awe factor of God, which I believe is the main source of his faith and out of which comes his unique response to God's call in a radical way. I'd just like to share the clip from his book's official website about the awe factor (also available through this link).

"Is the Lord's arm too short?"

"The Lord answered Moses, 'Is the Lord's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.' "(Num 11:23)

This morning's devotions have captured my heart. It seems that God is asking me the same question just as He had asked Moses.

Lately, I've been feeling tired partly due to studies, ministry, and other work on hand. On top of that, we are on a pastoral team minus one pastor (as the other pastor resigned quite unexpectedly and left us within a short period of time). Then a couple of admin staff are waiting to take their annual leave in the next month or so, that requires me (& us) lots of planning and work-sharing recently. At the same time, the church has come to a stage where we believe we need a bigger and better facility to accomodate the gradual growth, but there doesn't seem any potential development or venue yet.

All these put together are rather overwhelming! We are then easily trapped in the thinking that, "This is all so difficult!" "Even though God is powerful, we need to face the reality that we are short of staff ... we are in constant needs ... 24 hours aren't enough ... "

Yet God really speaks to me and stuns me by asking, "Is my arm too short? See for yourself what I can and will do for you!"

I've found this very comforting, encouraging and somewhat relieving because God seems to be assuring me that He takes everything upon His shoulder.

Are there more problems for me still?

拙口笨舌是藉口嗎？

How often when we are called to do something for God, the immediate response from many of us would be "I'm not good at this or that", "someone else would do it better"? I'm sure on the other hand some would be so eager to accept God's challenge first, but later regret as the task seems too big to handle.

Moses, when called upon to lead the Israelites out from Egypt, has several times on different occasions said that he's not eloquent, but rather slow of speech and tongue (拙口笨舌). He repeated the same thing over and over again (Ex 4:10; 6:12, 30). God was annoyed by that indeed, yet re-assured him that He's the one who would help & teach him (Ex 4:12, 15). Also He's the one who brings along other people to work towards the great cause (Ex 4:15-16; 6:13; 7:1-2).

Whatever your excuses of inability or incompetency would be, God would help you overcome them all for His name sake.

奇妙的10月 - 這是我重新學習信心功課的開始

從10月起，我便帶著一個「少許」不同的角色在教會事奉 – part-time的教牧同工。Part-time一般是指時間及薪酬來說的，但我好清楚神對我的呼召，我不願我的part-time影響到我對神（和對教會）的委身，所以這part-time對我來說主要是「收」一半的錢而已。

問題來了，我們一家人的經濟怎辦呢？2008年大部份時間，我都為此禱告，看神是否真的這樣帶領（或只少容許）我們這樣做；我也曾經掙扎過，特別從9月開始打後的幾個星期裡。加上最近美國的次按問題，而致影響全球的金融海嘯，並澳幣急挫等等，都令到我本來的計劃受到影響。我內心的掙扎變得更大，我開始意識到有一個難題正應面急速而來，一兩個星期後，我全家便只能靠我一半的薪酬來過活。

10月終於來臨，在第一個星期的弟兄小組中，一位弟兄為我這樣禱告﹕「求神幫助Andrew重新學習這信心的功課…」這真是神對我的提醒，我已經很久沒有在意識上仰賴神為我們生活上的供應。一來過往幾年的生活真的無驚無險，二來，我認為憑自己能「賺取」到金錢。這個禱告幫我重新對焦，唯一可依靠的是神。

我在10月1日那天還在想﹕「在這個月（或甚至未來一年），我怎樣能得到額外的$1,500來幫補家庭每月的生活開支呢？」結果，在10月的第一個主日，即10月5日，我們即經歷到神奇妙的供應，神奇妙地供應了超過$1,000，我還有甚麼話說呢？

「我的神必照他榮耀的豐富，在基督耶穌裡，使你們一切所需用的都充足。 」 - 腓4:19