SEVEN LIES THAT CAN TRAP A MINISTRY-----CONTINUED

Lie number two.. "They did it..I should do it also to be truly spiritual."

Back in the days of my hero worship one of the things I grappled with was a mistaken idea of what spirituality was all about. My heroes all had certain strengths that were observable to everyone. That's basically WHY they became my heroes. It was those strengths that made them what they were to my immature way of thinking. Added to that was the belief that if I could somehow do what was so obvious in them then the REAL spirituality for which I longed would be realized.

Take for example Peter Lord. I love Peter and Johnnie, his wife. I had the Privilege of pastoring two of his children when they were in seminary at SWBTS in Fort Worth. I've preached in conferences with Peter, Jack Taylor, Jim Hylton and others who, along with myself, started a magazine called "Fulness" in the late seventies and early eighties which was used of God to reach Southern Baptists with the needed truths of the work of the Holy Spirit in a believers life on a daily basis.

Peter had a unique style of personal devotions that he practiced for years arising at 4:00am in the morning and meeting the Lord. He wrote that formula down in book form and called it the 2959 plan of meeting with God. It was good. The name comes from spending 29 minutes and 59 seconds [2959] in a devotional time each morning before breakfast. [2959 grabs you better than saying 30 minutes] It was used of the Lord in many lives. I got introduced to it around 1970 and it may have been that back then it was just his teaching with the book coming later if I remember correctly.

Now for the problem. None with Peter or his plan. Both are unique gifts from God to the Body of Christ. The problem lay with me. It was two-fold. At that time I was NOT a morning person at all. I didn't even like talking to my wife, much less God, before coffee and breakfast. You think I'm kidding? Ask her. I knew it was the right thing to do, after all Peter did it, but I was NEVER successful in it. What does one do?

I never said I did the 2959 plan to anyone. That would be a lie. But I carried the book with my bible. On retreats I would use it as an example of what people were to do in order to be properly disciplined in the things of the Spirit. I brought Peter in to teach it to all the church folks.

So you ask what's the problem!! I never honestly said I DIDN'T do it. Somehow to say "it wasn't for me" would be tarnishing the glow of a hero and a spiritual man who made it his ministry to assist others in meeting with God. So I kept hiding reality and played a little game of spirituality. [This is all a bit embarassing for me but..hey..it's the truth]

Understand that Peter did not believe that if I didn't do his plan I was less a spiritual man than I could be. That was my private belief system. He would have certainly been shocked, I'm sure, had he found out I held him in esteem as I did anyway. But now multiply this one illustration by many-fold with the "spiritual" men I knew and admired but couldn't do what they so obviously did well to become godly men and you'll catch a glimpse of a sense of falseness that I lived with well into the decade of the seventies.

But remember I said the problem was two-fold. Here is the second fold and the REAL problem. What they did [or did not do] had nothing to do with their being spiritual men anyway. I just didn't somehow believe that. I had accepted the lie that it's what you DO that makes you a spiritual person. But the truth is all believers are spiritual men and women by virtue of the Holy Spirit having done His work of wooing, winning, redeeming and indwelling us. I AM a spiritual being and Christian..SO ARE YOU. [1 Corinthians 2:12-16]

Certain methods are good tools for some, helping them grow up a bit, but may NOT be such a good tool for others at all. It is true that we're all growing in our journey with Jesus in life, but that growth is unique. And it's even OK to admit someone else's method ISN'T for you. In fact, find your own if you wish. Celebrate with others theirs, but NEVER measure spirituality by what you or they do whether it's church attendance, bible reading on a regular basis, performing a 2959plan for a month without fail or preaching sermons every Sunday for a year. You can do ALL THOSE and not even be a genuine Christian. By the same token, our spirituality isn't what we REFRAIN from doing either.

Genuine spirituality is recognizing who you are by the grace of God in Christ. Forgiven, loved, accepted, indwelt, sealed, doted on [New mercies every morning] and when you fail He lavishes upon you His ABUNDANT GRACE as the Father He truly is to you. Of course He disciplines [trains] you when necessary but even that is out of the overflow of His abundant grace and mercy. Then,you can live your life learning to forgive, love, accept, and even lavish grace on people around you because you are this spiritual being He indwells and is being Himself through your unique personality.

While you're going about living life, it might be good to read your bible some, attend church with some kind of regularity, have seasons of prayer if you choose, though real prayer is a lot like breathing, it just happens when you know whose you are and know He's with you intimately.

In fact, enjoy ALL of life. It's all yours anyway according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23. But for goodness sake..celebrate being yourself. He's already got someone like them. [Whoever your heroes are.]