Scripture: 2nd Corinthians 3:17-18
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
Thought for the Day: Years ago I was standing outside the Assembly Hall at a General Assembly of our Denomination. Among those who were there was Rev. C. William Nichols (now deceased) who would soon become our General Minister and President. I do not remember what brought us to that moment in the conversation, but Dr. Nichols said, “Discipline leads to freedom.” I’m pretty sure we all nodded with thoughtful approval, but at least I wasn’t grasping the scope of what he said. Though more than 20 years have come and gone, his words continue to challenge me. With Lent just a day away, a time when we focus a little more intently on the spiritual disciplines, my thoughts return to Dr. Nichols’ words. Too often discipline is thought of in terms of an outside force coercing an individual to submit to a certain behavior. It’s probably how I defined it 20+ years ago, but the spiritual disciplines (prayer, study, fasting, service, worship, silence, sacrifice, etc.) are offered as a gracious gift for the purpose of training ourselves for a healthier and fuller life with God. It is not coercive, and God’s willingness to love doesn’t depend on whether we do these disciplines. Yet the disciplined life leads to a better understanding of that love and how God intended us to live within that love. With that knowledge, comes true freedom. I still have a lot of work to do, but I think I better understand Dr. Nichols’ point.
Prayer: May this Lenten season provide me with many opportunities to train my spiritual life so my relationship with you, O God, continues to strengthen. Amen.
