2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
What of Today’s Verse…
Humility is not our culture’s biggest asset or most desired character quality. But humility is what is demanded — not so much because it’s commanded (thought that would be enough), but because we’ve earned it. Every year brings another wave of major failures in morality, character, and spirituality. Rather than progressing culturally, we find ourselves slipping. Humility is earned! So let’s be humble and call upon the Lord!
Let us Pray:
Holy and Almighty God, your deeds are awesome, your faithfulness is overwhelming, and your mercy and grace are such a blessing. Yet I come to you knowing that you hear me, despite the incredible distance between you and me, between your worth and holiness and my lack. I confess that I, and my culture and country around me have made a mess of what you so wonderfully blessed us with. I come humbly asking that you reassert yourself in our nation in clearly recognizable ways. I ask this in faith through Jesus. Amen.
Words of Wisdom
Indulgence…
One of the best ways to become disciplined is to indulge yourself on a regular basis. At first that might sound contradictory. When you think about it, though, indulgence can be a key tool in developing and maintaining discipline.
Discipline always requires denial. For example, if you want to discipline yourself to lose weight, you must deny yourself fattening foods. When you discipline yourself to work hard toward achieving goals you’ve set for yourself, you deny yourself some of the "fun" activities of life.
We’re only human, though, and we need incentives along the way. One powerful incentive is to keep yourself focused on your goals, on the objects of your discipline. Another good way is to schedule a regular indulgence. It’s better if your indulgence is something you do regularly — every day, every week. It is important to be able to look forward to it. And when the time comes, enjoy it. Savour every minute without the least bit of guilt. Take time for yourself and reward yourself for your hard work and discipline. And remember that you’ll get the opportunity again and there’s no need to "binge." (I use "binge" here in a generic sense, not just as it applies to food.)
One powerful way to take this concept to a higher level is to develop indulgences that actually enhance your discipline. A good example of this is physical exercise. If you can find an exercise that it also a true indulgence, then you can discipline and indulge at the same time. That is a powerful combination.
Try a little indulgence — you deserve it and it will help to keep you on track.
