For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said,
"In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength."
Isaiah 30:15
Repentance.
Rest.
Quietness.
Trust.
That sounds so peaceful and healing. As vital as oxygen. Wonderfully counter-cultural. I long for these.
But how? Most of us do not need to be convinced that we need more repentance, rest, quietness, and trust in our lives. But how do we receive and nurture these gifts? How can I learn, understand, and practice the spiritual disciplines that grow my relationship with God on all these levels?
The word discipleship and the word disciple are the same word--that has always
fascinated me. Once you have made the choice to say, "Yes, I want to follow Jesus," the
question is, "What disciplines will help me remain faithful to that choice?" If we want to be
disciples of Jesus, we have to live a disciplined life.
By discipline, I do not mean control. If I know the discipline of psychology or of
economics, I have a certain control over a body of knowledge. If I discipline my children, I
want to have a little control over them.
But in the spiritual life, the word discipline means "the effort to create some space in
which God can act." Discipline means to prevent everything in your life from being filled up.
Discipline means that somewhere you're not occupied, and certainly not preoccupied. In the
spiritual life; discipline means to create that space in which something can happen that you
hadn't planned or counted on.
---“Moving from Solitude to Community to Ministry” by Henri Nouwen
Space.
Time.
Encouragement.
Direction.
Tools.
Soul friends.
Accountability.
Invitation.
Freedom.
Truth + Grace + Time
The Word of God.
The Spirit of God.
The Body of Christ.
These are the elements that nurture repentance, rest, quietness, and trust in my life. They open up my life for Jesus. For most of us, they don’t just magically happen. They require some intentionality. This is what we offer through Psalm One Ministries.
As 2020 roars to life, before our schedules crowd Jesus out, let’s create some space in which God can act.
Grace and peace,
Linda