Monday, May 4, 2009

What are we doing?

Sitting in staff meeting at church last nite, some great questions and discussions were started. What should the church expect from its members? Most Christians are aware that the Christian life is a disciplined one. We are required by God to pray daily, study His word, tithe regularly, give generously to one another in both our belongings and our time, to be disciples and to make more disciples. We discussed a discipleship process we began in January, which is in need of revamping and tuning because this is its first year and we definitely see where it needs improving. One problem encountered by many who are discipling is an excuse given by the disciple "i just don't have time". Wow. The discipleship process requires the disciple to meet once a week with their mentor but daily quiet time to read scripture and answer some questions about the passage. On average each daily exercise takes around 10 minutes give or take 5 minutes. So, is it "we" don't have time for quiet time with God? Or is it we are trying to add to our quiet time with God instead of using this as a tool to discipline ourselves to have a daily quiet time? Both of these situations seems "easy" (but not really) to fix. If we are too busy to have a quiet time with God, then we have to admit we are in complete disobedience to God. Hard to hear that, but that's the truth of the matter. If we don't have time because we are trying to add it to the quiet time we have already dedicated to God, then why not for the time of the course do the discipleship material for your dedicated time. After all, the discipleship process is to help you in your walk with Christ and to make you a stronger Christian and closer to Him in all areas of your life.

What do you think? Is that too much to ask? What do you think God requires? Is He accepting of our excuses not to spend time with Him? Or do you think that grieves Him? Is it really that we don't have time, or is it that we won't make the time that He requires? After all, He has given us the amount of time He says we need to accomplish all our "tasks" for Him.

What say you? Better yet, what do you think God says about it in His word through the principles He has established for us to live by?