Our son, Jonathan, graduated from Marine Bootcamp this past week. I can tell. He stands straighter, obeys quicker, moves proactively, and liberally sprinkles each conversation with ma’ams and sirs. He makes his bed, hangs up his clothes, and relentlessly plans each minute of the day. Best of all, Jonathan has grown deeper into the understanding that the world is not all about him. When we fail, he fails, and when he stops to help us succeed, we all come out on top.
Dear taxpayer, Thank you. Whatever you have paid to turn this little boy into a man/soldier, it was money well spent.
But I digress.
How did the US Marine Corp accomplish this amazing feat? From the lips of Staff Sergeant Stephenson, “We woke up at 4:00 am, we drilled, we ran the obstacle course, we drilled, we shot, we drilled, we swam, we drilled, we worked out, we drilled, we crawled through dirt, we drilled, we ate, we drilled…” Did you notice a certain theme?
Practice Makes Perfect
Like Jonathan, I need transformation. I long to stand stronger, obey quicker, sacrifice more, and saturate each day with prayer. I crave living with my Bible open, my knee bowed, and my heart surrendered. I hunger to grow deep into the knowledge that it is not all about me, it is all about Him, and when He is first the victory is won.
How does the Holy Spirit transform someone like you and me? Human willpower and determination will always fall short. Yet at the other extreme, lying around waiting for magic to come is futile. True change is a gift from God, received into grateful hearts by grace. But while this breathtaking gift comes from God alone, that does not mean there is nothing we can do. God has given us certain “disciplines” (i.e. drill) in the spiritual life as a means of preparing our hearts to receive His grace.
The apostle Paul says, “he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8). We reap what we sow.
Richard Foster puts it this way, “A farmer is helpless to grow grain; all he can do is provide the right conditions for the growing of grain. He cultivates the ground, he plants the seed, he waters the plants, and then the natural forces of the earth take over and up comes the grain. This is the way with the Spiritual Disciplines – they are a way of sowing to the Spirit.”
Doing My Part
This year, God has laid it on my heart to dedicate more time to drill. To breaking up the hard soil of my heart with prayer, solitude, silence, contemplation, service, fasting and more. Not to try to earn His favor. I have that already. It is a gift. Praise God!
Instead, through the disciplines of the Spirit, I want to cooperate with God as He continues to set me free from the tyranny of self to enjoy all of the fullness of Him. As John the Baptist said, “I must decrease. He must increase.”
Lord willing, this year Private Kim Avery is showing up for duty.
How are you cultivating the soil of your heart to experience more of Him?
