Let’s continue the journey in what we’ve learned and when we learned it. Now, let’s pick up where I left off from part 2 of the things I’ve learned and when I learned them.
I’ve learned that I am best rejuvenated and reenergized from time spent in solitude. I’m also glad I’ve learned that solitude is among the many wonderful spiritual disciplines. As odd as it may sound coming from a person whose profession involves many public events, I am best fed spiritually through time away spent in quiet, in prayer, in silence, in the midst of a sea, at the foot of the ocean, and in quiet meditation. The public events in my life are generally wonderful, but my participation comes at the price of drained energy. In coming to terms with this aspect of how God created me, I’ve gained a better understanding of why Jesus was often said to have gone off to a quiet place to pray. In contrast, I also recognize that others are rejuvenated and fed through interaction with the community of faith. This is the whole introvert/extrovert thing. It’s not about what one likes, but about what each one needs to reenergize to function as God created us to function. I hope you’ve been able to discover how you are best fed so that you can accommodate this essential need.
I’ve come to understand that grace is a tremendous blessing and is something we all need to give more of and receive more of
. I think many of us who are “go getters” are much too hard on ourselves. There's nothing wrong with high expectations, but we are human and need to cut ourselves some slack when we’ve truly done our best. I’m not proposing that grace is an appropriate response to underperforming, but I believe God recognized the difference between the intent of the heart and willful dereliction. Simply put, I’m happy to learn more about God’s gift of grace and more about giving and receiving grace.
I’ve learned that my spiritual growth is directly tied to my daily intake of spiritual food. It took some time for me to understand that my spirit has needs equal to my body having needs. It also took some time to see a direct correlation between my closeness to God and my intentional acts of spiritual discipline.
It is crystal clear to me now that weekly worship, daily prayer, bible reading and other spiritual disciplines are
required
, not optional, in the quest to sustain a close relationship with Jesus.
I thank God that there is great wisdom in the saying about not regretting choosing to spend more time with family over work. This was a lesson not easily learned. When Teresa and I were in our early years of ministry we often cancelled personal plans or would forgo days off, vacation, and other opportunities to spend time together believing we were indispensable. There were often occasions when we willingly relinquished to parishioners our Sabbath day, (Friday). We felt very awkward and uncomfortable telling folks we needed our Friday Sabbath as much as they needed their Sunday Sabbath. Now, after 31 years of ministry, we no longer feel awkward about declining to work on our day of rest. We are no longer reluctant to hold the Sabbath day as special and sacred. And we no longer forgo much needed vacations as if ministry can’t continue without us.
Last, but not least, I’m grateful to have come to the learning and understanding
that “it’s not about me”. This thing called life is not about the world revolving around my wants, desires, and wishes. It’s about how I live into God’s desire for my life
and how I engage with others God has created. The phrase "
less of me and more of Thee
" makes sense to me now. Thankfully, I’m learning more deeply that
It’s about God!
Let’s covenant to keep learning.
Ted
Pastor Ted