“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; and Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; To be understood, as to understand; To be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen”
I don’t know much about St. Francis. I’ve heard a few stories. I’ve read a few passages from him and about him, about how he was so in harmony with nature and with people; how he was totally surrendered to his place and time; how he, more than most, fulfilled the Golden Rule (see Matt 7:12) He probably did a better job of following Jesus (of being like Jesus) than anyone I know of. You know why? Because he had the attitude of Jesus, the attitude of a humble, obedient servant. (Philippians 2:5-8) His prayer, cited above, is a clear indication that he got it.
Like Jesus said, “43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven . . “ Matt 5:43-45.
Discipline is one of the ‘fruits of the Spirit’, as in Galatians 5:22-23. But there it’s called ‘self-control.’ Discipline (as in self-control) is extolled as a virtue, almost without equal. If you can be self-disciplined, then you can achieve almost any goal known to man. Wars are won by armies who have the most self-disciplined soldiers, from top to bottom. Their officers not only give good orders, but their troops respond well to orders, and they always fulfill their orders. Of such are great men and great events made.
I used to have these long spells when I’d get down and pray, and nothing was happening. Sometimes I’d go for months without praying at all till something really bad would happen and I’d start trying again. Then I discovered something. Every time I’d get really desperate, when I was so worried and so scared and so depressed about my life, and so cornered with nowhere to go, I’d really have a spell of knowing what bad shape I was in, and how bad I needed God, and how weak I am and how strong He is; and how stupid I am, and how Wise and Smart He is, and how ‘out of control’ I am, and how ‘IN CONTROL’ He is, and what a stupid jerk I am and what a MERCIFUL GOD He is, and I’d feel this blanket of peace and forgiveness and love settle over me like I never felt before. (It’s happening to me right now; Wow!) I call it ‘humbling yourself before the Lord’. I don’t know if that’s all it is; but that’s sorta the central point I think. After I had that experience a few times, I started trying it on purpose, instead of accidentally, and IT WORKED. I would actually feel the Presence of God, right there, right then! (right here, right now!) Try it; see what happens.
Ephesians 3:14-21 (NKJV) 14 For this reason
Isaiah 40:31 says, “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength . . .” I call it the “Old People’s Prayer’. A verse or two before it says, “even the young men will grow weary and fall, but those that wait on the Lord . . .” (the old people like me).
Romans 8:1-4: “1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not follow their sinful nature, but follow the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the sinful nature, God, by sending His own Son . . . condemned the sin of the sinful nature, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not follow our sinful nature but follow the Spirit.”
Romans 12:1 says, “I beg you, brothers and sisters, to present you bodies as a living sacrifice ….”
Luke 9: 23 says, “If anyone would follow me (be my disciple), let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” The point I want to focus on right now is about our daily habits. We can’t go many days without eating (and we certainly like to eat every day); we cannot live more than a few days without water; we have to sleep regularly, mostly every night. If we don’t go to work or school every day, we won’t last long in those endeavors. If we don’t do these things every day, we will languish, and diminish, and die.
lifevolumeone 