Leviticus 23-24

Mark 1:1-22

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry...” James 1:19

When we are devoted, we are disciplined. Why? Because the root word for “discipline” is “disciple.” To be a disciple of Jesus, we need to form healthy spiritual disciplines to put Jesus at the centre of our life. As we look forward to that great and glorious day, where we will all appear before Jesus, we will not be able to look to our left and right and say, “Well, so and so didn’t do this for me, or so and so didn’t do that for me.” We need to own our own discipleship.

Hebrew 5:13-14 tells us, “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” There is a season in life where we are all infants in Christ and need milk, not solid food. But if we have been journeying with Christ for decades and we are still drinking milk or looking for our bottle, then something is wrong.

There are some of us who have been a Christian for decades but still immature in our faith. The writer of Hebrews states, “…though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” (Hebrews 5:12). The goal as a Christian is to grow and mature in our faith so that we can have solid food.

There are others who may relate more to what John wrote to the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:3-4: “You have persevered and have endured hardships for My name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: you have forsaken the love you had at first.” While we might be well studied and able to chew through the solid food, it has become an arduous task instead of a joy.

If we are still immature in our faith or find that our faith in Christ has waned, may we get on our knees and ask God to rekindle that fire within us again. The One who loved us and gave Himself for us rightfully should be the object of our devotion because He is so good and because we love Him. We want to spend time with Him, be in His presence and be in community because we learn a more fulsome understanding of who He is through one another.

May our devotion to Christ form in us healthy spiritual disciplines to put Him at the centre of our life.

Lord Jesus Christ, I am devoted to You—help me to form healthy spiritual disciplines in my life. I want to grow and mature in my walk with You. Thank You, Jesus.