9.20.8 "The Fruit of the Undisciplined Life"

"The Fruit of the Undisciplined Life"

Isaiah 33:13-36:22
Galatians 5:13-26
Psalm 64:1-10
Proverbs 23:23

Well, the gauntlet has been dropped. I've made the challenge. I'm in a marathon next Saturday. Well, not actually a marathon, but a 3k run. It might as well be a marathon. Last year I spent a couple weeks training for it... That strategy didn't work, so this year I didn't do much of anything. I think I'll go buy new shoes. That might be what the problem is. Actually, I've been "training" for the past year. My consistent lack of exercise will reveal itself in my performance, however dramatic or disastrous it may be.

"Read your Bible and pray every day." Is something that we've heard since we were young. Growing up in the church, I've heard it thousands of time. Sometimes my response was an internal "rolling of the eyes". Thoughts range from, "Duh," to "I need something more profound", or "you don't know how busy I am", or "You don't understand my problems." Even, "I tried that and it didn't work".

We forget that this is as important as "Make sure you breathe today!" Why is it that important? Remember the principle of Empowered through Biblical Training is Discipline. There is fruit that comes from a disciplined life. We all want that fruit. In fact, I think at times we fool ourselves into thinking that "wanting" the disciplined life earns us some credit points or something.

I do belong to a gym. I make a payment to them each month. It's amazing that I haven't gotten in better shape just "belonging to" the gym. In the same way, we think that because we would LIKE to read the bible every day, that somehow we can still glean the fruit of that empowerment. Guess what. It doesn't work that way. Good intentions are not enough.

That doesn't mean your life wont bear fruit however. It's a like math equation. If you are Empowered Through Biblical Training, you will bear certain fruits. At the same time, If you are NOT Empowered Through Biblical Training, you will produce a specific fruit. Period. Here's what it is:

"But when you follow your own wrong inclinations your lives will produce these evil results: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group - and there will be wrong doctrine, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing. Let me tell you again as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God." - Galatians 5:19-21

"Yeah, but you don't understand, I'm a nice person." We hear that from unsaved individuals when witnessing to them, and we know that isn't good enough. But, we also hear that (and say that) from Christians who think their personality or charisma, or good intentions, will give them an exemption from the fruit of the undisciplined life. "I can get by with missing my time in the word. I'll be able stop myself from doing the wrong thing..."

The list of the "fruit of the flesh" in today's scripture includes a wide variety of things. Some of them are unconscionable. We couldn't think of doing them. Spiritism is something we could never consider, but what about "constant effort to get the best for yourself"? What about envy? anger? Lust? So many struggle with the thought life. We all do to one measure or another. The last part of Galatians 5:17 says, "These two forces within us are constantly fighting each other to win control over us, and our wishes are never free from their pressures." Some are constantly losing this battle for the thought life, and yet there is not a disciplined devotional life. You don't read the bible every day.... and yet you have trouble with your thought life.... Imagine that!

Lack of discipline is not just a matter of what we don't do. It's what we are doing. If you are not reading the word every day, you ARE feeding the flesh. You ARE harvesting a crop of fruit that you HAVE labored on. Sitting on the couch watching something inappropriate is a process of tilling the soil in your spirit and planting thoughts, images and values, that WILL bear fruit.

Seeing friends of mine who have healthy eating plans and an exercise routine, I feel bad for them that they don't get to pig out at will like i do. I even think, "yeah, that dieting is not a bad idea..." Well, we'll all know the fruit of it when I run.

Why do we think our own lives are different? Why do we think that if we intend to be Empowered through Biblical Training that's enough???

We MUST get this! It's not as important that I tell you about it as it is that I apply it to my life. The fact that I write a morning devotional does not exempt me from the need to get into the word & seek God's face. The fact that you teach a Sunday School class and teach others to be Empowered does not exempt you from being Empowered.

Don't forget to breathe today. Don't forget to read the word. Both of these are equally important.

One of my favorite scriptures is Hosea 10:12 "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you."

Dig into the word today. Seek God!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


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