Next Steps
Posted by Mark on 19 Jul 2009 at 01:00 pm | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Confession and repentance are important steps in our spiritual growth. As we recognize wrong thoughts, actions, and attitudes it is good to acknowledge them before our Heavenly Father and to receive His forgiveness and cleansing. Once we have taken those steps it is equally important to walk in the the truth in those areas of our life. Paul writes in Romans that we are not to be conformed to the world, but we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. (Romans 12: 1, 2) It is teachings like this that lead us to the understanding that God is very willing to transform us, as we open ourselves to His work. Simple, practical, methodical steps are the way of opening ourselves to His work. They are not “magical formulas”. They are just ways of wisdom, time honored practices of those who follow Jesus. So how can you experiment with these ways? What follows are a number of simple practical steps you can take. At the end will be some additional resources for further study.
10 Practical Next Steps.
1. Begin a daily time of being alone with God. Start by asking God to speak to you from His word. Read a portion of Scripture. Work your way through a single book of the Bible step by step. Reflect on what you have read. Pray about what you have learned. Pray about the day’s events. (There is no specific time for this…morning, evening, afternoon. do whatever works for you and your schedule.)
2. Pray through the Psalms, one psalm per day.
3. Take a walk in a park or on a hiking trail. Go slowly and reflect on God’s creation.
4. Fast for a day.
5. Volunteer to serve some people in need.
6. Memorize a key passage of Scripture and meditate on it periodically over an extended period of time. (Key passages - Colossians 3:1 - 17; 1Corinthians 13; Psalm 23; Psalm 1 for example)
7. Pray for God’s blessing on Lynchburg. Pray for the civic, school and church leaders.
8. Experiment with “Sabbath” rest. Find time to slow down and do “nothing”.
9. Study a passage of Scripture. Make an outline of the key thoughts. Look up the words in a dictionary. Use www.studylight.org as a resource.
10. Read a good Christian book or biography.
Some Examples:
Celebration of Discipline - Richard Foster
Embracing the Love of God - James Bryant Smith
Developing Intimacy with God - Alex Aronis
Renovation of the Heart - Dallas Willard
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction - Eugene Peterson
The Life of St. Antony - Athanasius
The Bondage Breaker - Neil Anderson
Caution: Remember these are NOT laws. They are just practices Christians have done for centuries. You aren’t a better person because you have done one, or two or all of them. They don’t EARN you anything. They are just ways you walk with the Lord and open yourself to His work in your life.