- CELEBRATION
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Phil.4:4).
In celebration, we rejoice in God’s many blessings and remember his faithfulness.
While too much celebrating could become excessive, no celebration is also bad. (Eccle.5:18-19) says that it is “good and fitting” to eat and drink and enjoy the fruit of our labour and the money and possessions that God has given us, because “this is the gift of God.”
Balance is required: “For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Eccl 3:1, 4).
- Jesus modelled celebration for us. His first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding, endorsing the celebration and allowing the party to continue (John 2:9-11).
- Jesus was also accused of being a glutton and drunkard because he ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners (Matt 11:19). It’s hard to believe that these were not joyous meals because people seemed to enjoy being in Christ’s company.
- The key thing to remember in celebration is: “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31).
- Celebration can erode into gluttony, drunkenness, and a worship of sensual pleasures when it is separated from the purpose of bringing glory to God.
This fine line may be the reason celebration has been so misunderstood by many Christians.
- Today, while we must guard against gluttony and drunkenness, we are right to celebrate weddings, baptisms, holidays, birthdays, promotions, raises, anniversaries, and other family and community gatherings.
- But what makes participation in all of these celebrations a spiritual discipline is remembering that we are rejoicing in God’s good gifts.
- SERVICE (Servant Leadership)
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” (Colo.3:23-24).
The discipline of service is a direct assault on our pride. Service requires humility. We humble ourselves before God, and take on the posture of a servant, putting God and others ahead of ourselves.
- There is no greater example of a servant than Jesus. He taught that the greatest people are those who serve (Matt 23:11), that the last will be first (Mark 9:35), and that even he “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
- Jesus modelled the humility and posture of a servant by washing his disciple’s feet and saying, “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15).
- God gives every believer different gifts for the purpose of serving one another (1 Pet 4:10).
So, we can practice the discipline of service in a myriad of ways, using whatever abilities God has given us.
- GENEROSITY
It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).
Generosity is about more than just giving. It’s changing the way you think about and manage your resources.
- Proverbs says, “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want” (11:24).
- Ecclesiastes warns against the love of money because it will never satisfy (Eccl 5:10). But the reason we should be generous is that nothing we own really belongs to us.
- Everything we have belongs to God (Ps 24:1). We are just managing God’s resources. We are Stewards of God’s resources
- Jesus taught about money and possessions a lot. He warned, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).
- Instead, we should store our treasures in heaven, because our hearts follow our treasure (Matt 6:19-21). If we are not careful, the cares of the world and riches will creep into our lives and keep us from God. So Jesus asks, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matt 16:26).
- Apostle Paul says to Philippian Church: “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account” (Phil.4:17).
In other words: “You cannot serve God and money” (Matt.6:24).
The problem is not the riches; it’s our attitude towards money. We need to learn to be content no matter how much money we have (1 Tim. 6:6). So, Paul teaches the rich to “be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Tim. 6:17-18). Plus, giving must be done with the right attitude, because “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).
- CHASTITY
Flee from sexual immorality (1 Cori.6:18).
Chastity is a discipline because all of our natural inclinations draw us towards sexual immorality. We must be disciplined to flee it and pursue pure thoughts and actions.
- Chastity does not mean celibacy, although celibacy is a calling for some. It means freely enjoying God’s good gift of sex within the bounds of marriage, as God created it to be (1 Cor 7:1-5). But unless we are married, chastity requires abstinence (Acts 15:20).
- The Bible’s teaching on chastity can be summed up in the seventh commandment: “You shall not commit adultery” (Exod 20:14). But Jesus takes the commandment a step further.
- He says, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt 5:28). So not only does chastity include not committing the physical act of adultery, but it is also about resisting the underlying root of lust.
- “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away,” Jesus continues. “For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell” (Matt 5:29). While I doubt Jesus was asking those listening to literally excavate their eyeballs, he intended this point to be strong. It is better to be blind than to burn.
- For most of us then, the discipline of chastity means following Job’s example: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman” (Job 31:1). We must discipline our eyes not to lust after anyone who is not our spouse.
And if we are ever in a compromising situation, we should follow Joseph’s example when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. Genesis 39:12 says, “She caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand and fled.”
Through the spiritual discipline of chastity, we follow Paul’s command to put our sexual immorality and evil desires to death (Col 3:5).
And when we feel like the temptation is too strong to fight, we must remember the Bible’s promise: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape” (1 Cor 10:13).
The discipline of chastity is a lifelong battle of fleeing temptation, pursuing purity and trusting God to provide the way.
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DISCIPLE-MAKING
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Matt.28:19).
- Disciple-making is a spiritual discipline because it does not happen by accident.
- To make disciples, as the Bible commands, we must actively seek out opportunities to share the gospel (Mark 16:15), baptize new believers, and teach them how to obey everything that Jesus commanded (Matt 28:19-20).
- If our goal is to become more like Christ, then we ought to participate in his mission. Jesus said that he came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). When Jesus recruited the disciples, he said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19). And after his death and resurrection, he commissioned us to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19).
- Disciple-making is a cornerstone of the church. In (Acts 5:42), we read, “Every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.” Sharing the gospel and teaching others how to follow Jesus was a daily discipline.
When Apostle Paul was arrested, while speaking to King Agrippa, even there he expressed his desire that he and others should become Christians and not suffer like him. His words echo the entire Christendom: “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” (Acts 26:28-29)
All Christians should practice disciple-making. Sadly, many leave it to just the hired professionals.
Most of us do not make disciples because we don’t discipline ourselves to do it.
May the Lord help us to become a disciplined disciple.