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with God is through prayer.
When we talk to God, we not only ask him for help but also thank him for all
he's done for us. The Bible tells us we can take everything to God in
prayer. Some of the reasons we pray are for guidance, forgiveness, peace,
intercession, and many other things. Probably the most important thing to
remember about prayer is we don't have to wait for meal time or the end of
the day. Any time we're faced with a problem or receive something we're
grateful for, that's the time to pray. Psalm 6:9,
15:8; Matthew 5:44, 6:9-13; Mark 11:24; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; 1
Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Peter 3:12.
Service. We all know, as Christians, we're to
serve others as well as God. Feeding the hungry, giving to the poor, giving
shelter to the homeless, these are just three types of service. But perhaps
the greatest service we grant to others are the acts that go unnoticed -
reading to a child, spending time with a sick friend, or running small
errands for others. True service is done with humility. We're not to go
about serving others just so we get noticed and recognized. Works through
faith give all the glory to God. Romans 12:11, 1
Corinthians 12:5, Ephesians 6:7, Colossians 3:24.
Simplicity. Living a simple life doesn't mean
giving up everything, only giving up those things we don't need. It also
doesn't mean giving away the possessions we've amassed through the years,
only those things we no longer use. This is especially important, we need to
get rid of anything we have because we think it impresses someone else or
because it's the main object of our attention. Perhaps a few examples will
make this discipline a little easier to understand. We don't need to live in
a big house so people think we're rich. We don't need an SUV as a status
symbol if a compact car serves our needs. We don't need to wear the latest
clothing to be a part of the "in crowd". Simplicity doesn't just apply to
our possessions, but should also be present in our speech and the rest of
our lifestyle. Psalm 62:10; Matthew 5:37, 6:21;
Philippians 4:12; 1 Timothy 6:9.
Solitude. Spiritual solitude is part of an inner
peace. In this current time and place of history, we have people telling us
we need to be part of one group or another. Psychologists may even tell us
it's bad to be alone. When we're alone, when we actually have some time to
think, we may discover things about ourselves we don't like and may become
depressed. But solitude is a necessary part of the Christian life. Not only
can we learn which areas of life we need help with, we also have nothing
cluttering our minds, leaving us open to hear what God has to tell us. The
gospels mention many instances of Jesus departing from large crowds in order
to spend time alone so he could be closer to God.
Study. The only possible way to learn about a
subject and have a firm understanding is to study. Some things we can learn
by reading, watching a video, listening to a lecture, or by hands on
experience. God's truth can be learned in all of these ways. The important
difference is that the study of God involves all of these techniques, not
just one or the other. We must read the Bible, watch the interactions among
people, listen to the teachings of preachers in pulpits or study groups, and
experience the events in our lives. When we hear the sermons or see the
behaviors of others, we must be sure these things are in accordance with
God's Word. The Bible may be our main study tool, but all of life should be
included in our lessons. 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Submission. Submission may be the hardest
discipline for any Christian. Most, but not all, of us like the idea of
always having things done our way. No one person is above anyone else, we're
all equal in the eyes of God. Some people take submission to the extremes,
such as a husband expecting his wife to obey every order or preachers
teaching we're never to question what they teach. We're each to serve one
another. Each one of us are to help others, not only by the rules of giving
to the poor and feeding the hungry, but also by teaching and rebuking based
on God's Word. We should never follow someone blindly by some false
perception of who is to submit to whom. If by submitting to another person
we're going against the will of God, we should no longer stay in submission.
Jesus taught there's no set hierarchy, we're all to submit to the will of
God, first and foremost, and then to submit and serve one another.
Matthew 23:8-10, Romans 13:1, Ephesians 5:21,
Colossians 3:18, Hebrews 12:9, James 4:7.
Worship. When most Christians think of worship,
they think about sitting in a church pew and listening to a |
