The Fridge Is Too Full

We have a refrigerator problem at our home.

It’s not big enough

Whenever we come home with groceries, we have no room to put them.

A common kitchen scene at our home.

But our refrigerator’s capacity is not really the problem. The problem is that we aren’t particularly good at doing something with leftovers other than putting them into a Rubbermaid container and shoving them on a back shelf to age for a couple months.  The problem is our own making. Maybe you have the same problem. I hear it’s common.

Every time we bring groceries home, we have to clear out space so that we have room for the good stuff. We have to dump the moldy gouda and ditch the two-week-old chicken stir fry.

That expired stuff can kill us. The fresh groceries we just brought home will nourish us. We have to get rid of the former to make room for the latter.

Our refrigerator problem is a good analogy for the spiritual life. We have so many things taking up room in our hearts and lives that it becomes quite difficult to make space for God in them. Our occupations, preoccupations, worries, hopes, fears, dreams and distractions are often bumper to bumper in the congested pathways of our minds and hearts.

One of my literary mentors, the late Henri Nouwen, once said, “Discipline is the concentrated effort to create some space in our lives where the Spirit of God can touch us, guide us, speak to us, and lead us to places that are unpredictable, where we are no longer in control.”

At first blush, discipline brings us a negative vibe. It conjures up images of being taken to the woodshed, of writing sentences on the blackboard, or of running extra wind sprints after a poor practice. Discipline has that feel of being forced to do something very unpleasant because we messed up. It can easily make us feel like we’re in trouble.

How the word "discipline" makes me feel.

To be sure, our English Bibles translate some of Scripture’s original language as “discipline” in this sense—the instilling of values by correction or rebuke (up to and including the “woodshed” variety!). But there are several facets to the concept of discipline in the Bible, including the ideas of strengthening oneself, becoming of sound mind, being trained as a child, and—my personal favorite—learning.  In fact, the term translated as “disciple” (note its connection to “discipline”) in the Gospels literally meant “learner” in its original language. (I suppose the “Twelve Disciples” sounds cooler than the “Twelve Learners,” though.)

So when I speak about discipline in this blog, I will be referring to the methods and means of learning how to make space for God in our hearts. This is something I am passionate about and have been pursuing ever since I made the decision to entrust my life to Jesus Christ and depend wholly on his life, death, and resurrection for my salvation.

I have been wanting to write about these things for a while now, but have been hesitant to do so, because I do not consider myself an expert. You won't find my bust in the spiritual master hall of fame. I’m a work in progress, a man in the middle of his own sanctification, and I imagine I will never feel wholly comfortable about where I am in my walk with and toward Jesus. Nevertheless, I want to invite you to join me as I explore the many pathways to a deeper, more abundant life with the Father, Son and Spirit.

In posts to come, I’ll discuss different ways to pray, to take in God’s Word, and to meditate, along with a host of other approaches to a deeper life with God that we have come to call the “spiritual disciplines.” I will review books on Christian spirituality, both old and new. I even hope to have guest bloggers occasionally appear to share with us some of what they have learned on their respective journeys toward Jesus.

Some of it may appeal to you, and you’ll want to try it out for yourself. Other elements may seem alien, ridiculous, or even suspect. Explore what you might think would be helpful, keep it if it works, and discard the rest. You won’t offend me.

My soul aim in all this is to invite you to open your hearts with me and begin to move things around as we seek to make space for God.

Soli Deo Gloria, and grace and peace.