Inspiration Thursday

Recently I attended a mens event at our church that challenged us to be more disciplined in our relationship with Christ.  That may seem a like a strange topic, but there is great truth in the concept.  I must admit that I am one of God's children that is in great need of more discipline when it comes to my relationship with my Savior.  Exactly what does this spiritual discipline look like?
Look around you and identify people of great faith that you admire.  Someone like Dr. Billy Graham may come to mind.  A parent or grand parent may be the most spirit filled person that you know.  How did they become so filled with faith and trust in the Lord and so knowledgeable about the things of God?  The answer is discipline.  Just like an athlete spends hours and hours training to be the best, or a musician spends a lifetime practicing to become a concert artist, growing spiritually takes practice.
We have to discipline ourselves to read God's Word.  Many Christians attempt to read the Bible in one year, yet they get bogged down in the chapters that trace the genealogy of Biblical personalities.  It takes discipline to forge ahead.  We have to discipline ourselves to spend time in prayer and deepen our relationship with the Lord.  He cannot speak to us unless we are willing to take the time to listen.  We have to discipline ourselves to hear what God is trying to tell us.
Even spending time with God's people in corporate worship takes a certain amount of discipline.  Church is a place where God's people gather and give Him our praise and worship.  It is also a place where He meets us and speaks to us through those that He has called to preach.  Church gives us an opportunity to minister to a hurting world and share the love of God.  No church is perfect.  No Christian is perfect, just forgiven.  All of us are running the race and are in need of God's mercy and grace every day.
The only way to experience God's mercy and grace on a daily basis is to spend time building our relationship with Him.  Bible reading, Bible study, scripture memorization, prayer, and corporate worship with God's people are all pieces of our relationship with the Lord.  It takes discipline to become proficient in any of these areas of our life.  I need to become more disciplined in my walk with the Lord.  Precious Lord, lead me home.