July 31

”Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me…”

(Luke 9:23 NIV)

All who have learned to play an instrument know that if one is ever going to learn to play one must exercise discipline and concentrate on the lessons. No grown up, who has never had lessons, sits themselves at the piano and simply says: now I’ll just play naturally - freely! One knows that first it’s a matter of structured discipline - scales, practice and endless repetition – then follows the freedom, the experience of free, natural playing.

For that matter, I don’t believe anyone wants to have an operation performed on them by a surgeon who’s acting freely, outside the rules. We must feel secure in knowing the surgeon is disciplined and knowledgeable in every detail of human anatomy and the area in which they practice before we allow him or her to operate on us.

Today’s Bible verse deals with discipline. It deals with doing daily that which is expected of me. Some people say they don’t want discipline in their Christian life. They want freedom. However, unless we take up our cross daily and follow Jesus our witness lacks believability and the freedom we reach won’t have anything to do with the authentic spiritual freedom. That freedom comes only when we faithfully train to be godly. (1 Tim 4:7 NIV)

Prayer

Jesus I want to learn what authentic freedom is. Help me to faithfully seek to be in Your presence through Scripture reading, prayer and praise, so that I may learn more and more about who You truly are, and thereby experience the freedom only You can give.