Week 2
Discipline: SCRIPTURE Psalm 119:105
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Reflection: DIRECTION
Jesus invited the first disciples, “follow me and I will make you . . . “. So discipleship means “following” Jesus which implies being led in a particular direction and in the process being made into something different than we currently are. To be led or directed requires an act of submission, which requires enough humility to recognize that there may be someone who knows the way better than us. For disciples today, that means looking to scripture as the “inspired word”, for direction in our lives. Before inviting people to follow him, Jesus first called for repentance, which means “turning around”. As Paul wrote to Timothy, for disciples, a commitment to scripture often leads to changing direction, which first requires recognizing we are going in the wrong direction (reproof), and then making the necessary adjustments in our course (correction), all for the purpose of equipping us for the life and purpose God has planned for us.
The amazing thing about scripture is the timeless truth contained in it in spite of its origin in a culture so far removed from our own. But then again, its origin precedes the world in which it was penned. From the Old Testament stories of Israel’s failure to follow God’s direction and the consequences of it, to the practical wisdom writings of Proverbs; from the repeated warnings of the Prophets to turn around or else, to the gentle invitational guidance of the “Good Shepherd”; from the coaching/mentoring of Paul, to the promised and hopeful vision of the Revelation, scripture is all about offering direction for our lives. It points to “the Way” who leads the way to “the life that really is life”. It guides us through the confusing world where pastures are not always greener, waters are rarely still, and there is an enemy who is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and a liar bent on deceiving that he may “kill, steal, and destroy”. Scripture offers direction to an “abundant life”.
Andy Stanley wrote a book entitled, “The Best Question Ever”. In it he proposes that “the best question ever” is, “Is it the wise thing to do?” Then he explores through scriptural wisdom direction through life’s maze of decisions and pitfalls. We all need mentors, coaches, and guides in our lives, but none are wiser than the timeless wisdom of scripture. In Wesleyan tradition our theological guide to discerning the will and direction of God is called the “quadrilateral” (Scripture, tradition, experience, reason). In it, everything is weighed against or contributes to what Scripture says is the way. In the search for direction, we like Wesley, should be well read learners, but in the end, “people of one book”.
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