Fighting a "Lean" Spirituality

Spurgeon, as usual, really grabbed and convicted me this morning. Here's what he had to say (emphasis mine):

"The ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven wellfavoured and fat kine."
Genesis 41:4

Pharaoh's dream has too often been my waking experience. My days of sloth have ruinously destroyed all that I had achieved in times of zealous industry; my seasons of coldness have frozen all the genial glow of my periods of fervency and enthusiasm; and my fits of worldliness have thrown me back from my advances in the divine life. I had need to beware of lean prayers, lean praises, lean duties, and lean experiences, for these will eat up the fat of my comfort and peace. If I neglect prayer for never so short a time, I lose all the spirituality to which I had attained; if I draw no fresh supplies from heaven, the old corn in my granary is soon consumed by the famine which rages in my soul. When the caterpillars of indifference, the cankerworms of worldliness, and the palmerworms of self-indulgence, lay my heart completely desolate, and make my soul to languish, all my former fruitfulness and growth in grace avails me nothing whatever. How anxious should I be to have no lean-fleshed days, no ill-favoured hours! If every day I journeyed towards the goal of my desires I should soon reach it, but backsliding leaves me still far off from the prize of my high calling, and robs me of the advances which I had so laboriously made. The only way in which all my days can be as the "fat kine," is to feed them in the right meadow, to spend them with the Lord, in His service, in His company, in His fear, and in His way. Why should not every year be richer than the past, in love, and usefulness, and joy?—I am nearer the celestial hills, I have had more experience of my Lord, and should be more like Him. O Lord, keep far from me the curse of leanness of soul; let me not have to cry, "My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me!" but may I be well-fed and nourished in thy house, that I may praise thy name.

I often find my spiritual life--my walk with the Lord--in a very bad state. I find my self simply existing or surviving but I know it should not be that way! I talk a great game, knowing my theology and my terms and even how I should pray, but do I do it? NO! I let other concerns grab my attention and before I know it, another day has gone by without prayer or without studying the Word (yes, I often READ the Bible, but I don't study it, meditate on it).

And as Spurgeon states above, even when I do make strides, my own inconsistency tears down the advances I have made because of my lack of discipline. The daily grace that we receive must be replenished; the daily supply of spiritual food through the Word and through prayer is a daily bread that the Lord grants to those who seek it. If it is not asked for, then simple struggles will help to erase strides that a Christian has made in increasing faith and trust in Christ. Of course, it is not of ourselves, but of the Lord--but our minds (and our faith) must be exercised. Just as you tone muscle in the gym or flex your brain in doing a crossword puzzle, so too is our faith toned or flexed when we consistently pray or get in the Word.

People might often wonder why those who have come to the faith need the Gospel preached to them; because we need to be reminded! I sat and watched The Passion of the Christ and I thought to myself, "what graphic images, I will never forget them!" And yet I have! I cannot even now glimpse an image from that movie in my mind! How much more do we need His Gospel in the Word and His grace as it is given to us in prayer! I fight a leanness in spirituality every day, and I must confess that I lose most of the time. Lord help me to feast in your fields and help me to hold fast to Your Word and Your love.

Smearing Our Brethren on the 'Net

I was reading my morning Spurgeon this morning, and he points out that we should not make it our business to "help the Devil dishonor the Church."

Spurgeon quotes from Leviticus 16:19, which states the following:

You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life [1] of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

The KJV translation that Spurgeon quoted specifically states that we should not be a "tale-bearer," and it means that we should not go around spreading stories, true or not, that would damage the reputation of the person who is the subject of that story. Paul was very specific about those who gossip (see Romans 1:29-30).

The thing that has struck me most since I have been blogging and reading blogs on the internet is how easy it can be to vilify the individual (be that person a Christian or not) when telling a story about something that they have done or a belief that they hold to. Spurgeon goes on to state that we should most certainly rebuke sin, but this is to be done to his face (not to "rail" behind his back) so that you may restore that brother to Christ.

The internet provides a medium in which individuals can attack (and even appear to attack without meaning to) individuals personally rather than dealing with the sin or error itself (recent debates over doctrine on some blogs, I fear, have tried to rise to personal attacks and the medium is not personal so it easily lends itself to that).

Sin and error must be dealt with in the Church, but we must be careful in dealing with both that we do not take the extra step of trying to destroy the Body by our methods. We are the Body of Christ and they will know that we are Christians by our love for one another--this does not mean that we cede any essential doctrine or we water down the Gospel. May it never be.

Reproof and correction, at its base, should be motivated by a love and restoration for the other person, not a motivation to point out fault and claim "see, I told you he or she was [fill in the blank]!!!" Because we can all claim we are the greatest of sinners, and to smear another brother or sister in Christ in our blogging (and even worse, in more private conversations and emails) causes us to puff ourselves up and we do damage to our witness and the cause of Christ.

To echo Spurgeon, I would plead that our talk and actions be infused with the doctrine of the Gospel and our hearts be broken for those who commit sin and error. Make it a point that if someone tells you a tale or gossips about someone else, let it stop with you--glory in Christ and do not glory in pulling your brother down.

Doctrine-Infused Speech

I was reading my daily Spurgeon this morning when a particular line grabbed me:

We may judge of the secrets of the soul by their manifestation in the man's conversation.

Wow. I have to ask myself, does the truth of Scripture grip me in this way, that my conversation shows my understanding of the Gospel? When I am pressed by the heat of situations or encounter others who struggle, do I promote the truths of the Gospel with my speech? I confess that I do not. Spurgeon also, in quoting 3 John 3, states that "doctrines simply held as creed are like bread in the hand," while if that bread is eaten and digested, it does nourishment (and so too with doctrine).

I've commented on this before, but what we feed on (intellectually and spiritually) determines what we produce with our mouths as well as how we act. We can be a tool of both reproof and encouragement to our brothers and sisters in Christ but also be a stumbling block and detriment to the Gospel in how we speak and act (see James 3:8).

What "secrets" does your conversation with others reveal? Are they the secret treasures of the Gospel or does your talk display something else? May our minds be permeated by the Gospel and its doctrines and may we hold them as dear as life.