Thoughts on Sensitivity and Discipline


Like Reid and Steve, I was thinking so much about Sonshine through this reading. Specifically, I was thinking of our culture point of SENSITIVITY.

“He creates everything ‘by his hands’ and all created things are (lo) for him. The world is his.”
By this, there is no doubting that meat offered to idols is still the Lord’s! How could it belong to anyone else when He is the Creator to whom the whole Earth belongs?!

And yet…we cannot divorce love and knowledge. Beyond being modest in what we know, there is also required a sensitivity to the contextual practice of our knowledge.


Chapter 3.3 also rattled me. Bailey writes that “enormous skill is required to maintain that delicate balance between freedom and slavery”. To be all things to all people, Paul exerted incredible energy and discipline to cross intercultural barriers and to act in accordance with the gospel that he preaches.

He does not preach from a position of power, but chooses to live among others in their lowliness, acting in tangent with the gospel of Christ! A slave to all, yet living in freedom!

I wrote in the margin (after a comment on the previous page that says ‘Uffda’) ‘It haunts me that I fear I do not exercise this discipline often’. The discipline Paul speaks of is inspiring…and intimidating.  

Definitely got my booty kicked a bit from that chapter! God, grant me the grace and the strength to carry on in your purposes in my life (and our lives) with discipline and maintenance of the ‘delicate balance between freedom and slavery’!

Comments

  1. Reid DelgadoDecember 6, 2018 at 9:40 AM

    Amen Mirm!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Steve MannDecember 6, 2018 at 10:33 AM

    Bailey not only uses the adjective "ENORMOUS" for "SKILL" in 3.3, he also uses it for the word "ENERGY." Here's the quote...... "He warns his readers the task of "all things to all people" takes ENORMOUS ENERGY. He is discussing the cost of cross cultural, incarnational mission."

    So to summarize -- leading a houseboat of kids with the heart of Jesus requires ENORMOUS SKILL and ENERGY. -- Ken Bailey.

    I have a new word to describe my 2019 summer next fall.

    Person/Friend: "How was your summer Steve?"
    Steve: "ENORMOUS!"

    Thx Mirm for helping me internalize and eternalize these vital/critical truths!

    ReplyDelete

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