SELF-DISCIPLINE...OUR TICKET TO RIDE

It is said that  old age ain't for sissies, and OMG how true that is. What isn't made much of is the fact  that the spiritual life ain't for sissies either. Like not responding in kind to a snarky comment...an unfair snarky comment (there are fair ones?). Personally, I tend to suspect that walking on water isn't a whole lot harder...both being impossible to my reasoning mind. It isn't that "not responding in kind" means keeping my mouth shut...that's the easy part...but there are no points in Heaven for my closed mouth with a snarky mind. That's just breeding grounds for a resentment, a.k.a., Ego Heaven.

The thing of it is, it is possible to be unfairly judged, found wanting and shunned as punishment, and not live in either blame of another or shame of self because of it. That is called "peace of mind." And, for a fact, self-will cannot get us there...self-discipline is our ticket to ride.

According to me, there is no spiritual growth without self-discipline, and self-discipline starts by making a decision to sit and wait on the Lord. For however long the Lord wants us to sit and wait. I say again, the Lord  goes slow in order for us to keep up.

Spiritual growth entails ego-deflation in depth. We can usually recognize ego-thinking by our wants. We want pay back, to get over on, make her sorry, shame him...win, in a word. Or make 'em lose, either one will do. That's ego thinking, plain and simple.

First lesson: There is no win/lose  spiritually, there is only win/win. Sounds easy-peasy. Second lesson: It is not.

It takes emptying of our self, detaching from our self. The time it takes depends entirely on how long it takes us to realize we cannot do that. We learn neither battering rams nor pitch forks will aid us, we must go to God. And with a sincere heart. (Here's a clue: If our sincere heart feels like a broken heart, we're on the right track.)

Although it is a hard lesson learning, it truly is the pearl beyond price: Our grayest days are our blessings in disguise. They are our guarantee of a bright future, that time when we can look back in grateful wonder at how beautifully our life shows forth.

God is so good to us.

Thank you.