The Plumbline

By now you know that I am rarely content with the 'mundane'. I find 'commonplace' to be a little less than challenging for me. I need to always be learning, finding satisfaction in even discovering one little solution to a problem, or realizing where a phrase came into origin. There is something good about not settling for the mundane, but for some this is a very frightening matter. The ordinary is where they are most content and there is little desire to go beyond it. Why? It is 'safe' and it requires very little to 'maintain' that 'safe place'. Get into areas outside of the 'ordinary' of life and the demands increase - for our time, effort, and even our talent! Jesus said, "You're tied down to the mundane; I'm in touch with what is beyond your horizons. You live in terms of what you see and touch. I'm living on other terms." (John 8:23) Jesus is answering the accusations of the religious leaders - they are all hung...

Gonna ask a tough question this morning - how many of us actually live disciplined lives? A disciplined life is characterized by self-control, orderly and prescribed conduct, and exercise in things that produce solid moral character.  Most of us would associate ourselves with some other 'title' than 'disciplined' - especially when we consider all the areas of our lives where discipline may not be exercised. I don't always have a disciplined life with every aspect of my house cleaning, nor my maintenance of flowerbeds. Sometimes I let dust build up, and a few things to get gangling growth before I do anything about it. If we have mastered the art of living disciplined lives, it is usually in some area such as our finances, health, exercise, etc.  The type of discipline that is required to produce a 'spacious life' encompasses these types of 'disciplined living' and much more. An undisciplined, self-willed life is puny; an obedient, God-willed li...