Altar
Call – Opelika-Auburn News
Walter
Albritton
February
16, 2014
The examples of
others motivate us to change
Students of the Bible are inspired by
the example of Daniel. He was an Old Testament prophet with steel in his
backbone. Despite King Darius’ threat of death to the disobedient, Daniel
ignored the king’s law to stop praying to his God. He continued to pray openly
and on his knees, three times a day. The penalty for breaking this law was
death (thrown to the lions).
Officials of the king, jealous of Daniel’s
popularity with the king, had deceived the king into passing an ordinance
forbidding anyone to pray to any god other than King Darius. The naïve king did
not realize that the law was designed to eliminate Daniel. Caught praying, Daniel
was hauled before the king and thrown to the lions.
The next morning the king found that
Daniel was alive. God had closed the mouths of the lions. Darius was “exceedingly
glad” and decreed that all the people of Persia “should tremble and fear before
the God of Daniel: For he is the living God, enduring forever.” Daniel’s trust
in God was so strong that he did not panic in the face of death.
Centuries later the Apostle Paul
demonstrated the same confidence in God. He kept the faith despite persecution
and threats of death. Both Daniel and Paul were disciplined in prayer. Their
confidence sprang from daily communion with God. Their examples inspire us to
pray.
There are special people whose examples
motivate each of us to seek a more disciplined spiritual life. God used both
the writing and the example of Richard J. Foster to inspire me to take more
seriously the holy habits of the spiritual life.
I met Foster before his books made him
the best known Quaker in the world. When I arrived in Wichita, Kansas, to speak
to the student body at
His casual dress, and his warm and
unassuming manner, made me feel welcome and comfortable. His gracious
hospitality made me feel at home in a strange town. I shared how much I had enjoyed his book, Celebration of Discipline. Neither of us
had any idea then that his book would sell more than a million copies and be
named one of the top ten books of the 2oth Century.
I realized later that a beautiful thing
had happened to me. Foster made no effort to impress me. He put aside his own
work and took time be my host. Months later it dawned on me that Richard
Foster, the most famous man ever to serve as my chauffeur, was simply
practicing the simplicity that he describes in his books as one of the basic
spiritual disciplines of devout Christians. His book, Freedom of Simplicity, is an excellent read. And I know from personal experience the man
practices what he preaches!
When I read Foster’s Celebration of Discipline from time to
time, I guard against heaping shame upon myself for lack of discipline. Shame
seldom motivates us to grow. Guilt
hinders our spiritual progress if we allow it to hang around. But guilt can
help us if we allow it to motivate us to forgive ourselves for past failures
and make a fresh start in living a more disciplined life.
The best way to approach spiritual
disciplines is to set aside some time and get into them one day at a time. We should make sure we have the right motive –
not to become more pious but more useful.
The greatest reward of spiritual growth is a deeper friendship with God.
I know a man who runs a hundred miles a
week. He wants to become stronger so he can compete well in his next marathon. If he can be disciplined in order to run well,
surely I can practice holy habits in order to become a more effective servant
of Christ.
Where shall we begin? Each of us must
decide. As for me, I feel the Spirit nudging me to become more disciplined in
prayer and to live a more simple life. Simplicity is the doorway to true joy. Freedom from the tyranny of things will bless
me – and make me a blessing.
Begin anywhere the Spirit leads you. Don’t wait for someone to join you. Be a self-starter. Be disciplined regardless of what others may think. Be a Daniel. The time to get started is now. + + +