We completed week 1 of 2017. As we venture further into our 2017 journey, I highly recommend you read Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster. It's a book that reignites life into Christian traditions that people deem archaic, irrelevant, and outdated. Foster breaks his book into 3 disciplines: inward, outward, and corporate. Week 2 of 2017 will be focusing on breaking down these disciplines. For now, we are going to look at Foster's book through a bird's eye view. We will be extensively looking at all of the practices next week, so start reflecting what area you want to grow in.
The inward disciplines encompass meditation, prayer, fasting, and study. We may not deem these four practices as irrelevant, but we may not discipline ourselves in all four of these areas. This daily dose of inspiration desires to equip and challenge you to work out in one inward, outward, and corporate discipline for week 2. Pick the one out of the three that intrigues you and that you desire to grow in. If you want extensive information about those four practices, please take time to read Foster's book and look out for next week's devotionals. It is seriously a breath of fresh air.
The outward disciplines encompass simplicity, solitude, submission, and service. Simplicity deals with the attitude that "less is more". Solitude calls us to practice stillness and silence in a world that can be so loud and chaotic. Submission and service challenges our view of following others and our mold of true leadership. Lastly, the corporate disciplines encompass confession, worship, guidance, and celebration.
I want to encourage you to grow in an area that you are not familiar with in 2017. As we venture into Foster's book for the week 2 of Shape 2017, find a discipline that you can commit to grow in.
TAKE AWAY:
1. Challenge yourself to grow in an area that you are least comfortable with.
MEDITATION:
“1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God”
DAILY CHALLENGE:
1. I challenge you to pick 1 discipline in all three areas: inward, outward, and corporate. Focus on three discipline areas to grow in this following week.
2. Reflect on your attitude toward the discipline. Challenge yourself to not grow weary in your week 2 journey through 2017.