Spiritual Disciplines

Dabbling is defined as “a superficial or intermittent interest, investigation, or experiment.”
¹I can enjoy dabbling in a lot of things. I like to dabble in technology. I work with it just enough to feel good at it. I dabble with woodworking. I'm learning to cut things straight. I feel good about a little something that I've built now and then – but if the results aren't exactly perfect, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I'm willing to bet that a number of you have dabbled in certain things.But there is one thing in particular which no one can afford to dabble in. You cannot afford to dabble in your faith. A little dabbling will not do it. Jesus said in Luke 9:62 “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
We cannot start to serve God and get distracted with other things. But we do. We need to be reminded of 1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Dabbling in our relationship with the Almighty will only leave you wanting. If upon serious reflection you can see the tendency to go light in your walk with Christ than today I want to call you to getting serious about your faith.

Now to a certain extent you may already be taking your walk with Christ seriously. But if we are truly following Christ there really is no point short of perfect Christlikeness at which we can say, "it is enough. I am full of God enough to satisfy me so I do not need to walk with him any more than I do." there is always something in our lives which must be surrendered.

"You must not permit anyone to look down on your youth, instead you must become an example for those who believe; in speech, conduct, love and purity." - Personal Translation.

Introduction

During the early days of the civil war our nation was moved into a heightened sense of our need for God's protection and care. At that time Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase received a letter dated November 13, 1861. It was written by the Reverend M. R. Watkinson, minister o the Gospel from Ridleyville Pennsylvania.

He wrote:

Dear Sir: You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress respecting the affairs of the national finances.

One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked. I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins.

You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the all seeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW.

Some of the recent advertisements out for a consulting firm use Tiger Woods to highlight their professionalism <show a few of the print adverts>. Tiger Woods is on top of his game. As an athlete he is not only one of the best but one of the most recognizable in terms of excellence.

Any fool can play cow pasture pool - but if you want to golf like Tiger Woods it's going to take discipline and hard work; not to mention an enormous investment of time. That company claims that they know what it takes to be a Tiger. Bully for them. You might want to work on that hook or slice you've been nursing but I've got something more important than your golf swing for you to work on.

Do you have what it takes to be godly?