Salsa, Discipline, and Spiritual Growth

I used to hate salsa. Just the smell of it would make me nauseous. Every time my parents would go to a Mexican restaurant, I would feel so sick. However, when I got to college, something changed with my tastebuds. After church on Sundays, my friends would always want to get Mexican food. At first, I wasn't a huge fan. Yet, the more I had it, the more I began to like it and eventually crave it. Now, I love Mexican food, but you know what I really love? Salsa! But what changed? It wasn't the salsa. It was me. 

We tend to crave what we eat. That's why there are so many studies out there that say sugar is addictive. The more sugar we consume, the more we will crave it. The same is true for me and salsa. The more I chose to eat it, the more my body craved it. However, this change took a time of transition where I went from salsa making me nauseous to craving it. For many of us, we are in a season where we are switching from how the world tells us to live, to how God tells us to live. We are in a season where we are struggling to remain disciplined and motivated in our spiritual life. In doing so, our tank has run dry. We have no more fuel in our own tank, which is why we need God's tank. Let me tell you a secret...God's tank is entitled "DISCIPLINE" in big letters. 

We often get unmotivated for God because we rely on motivation. What if what we really need is discipline? Motivation in itself relies on YOUR fire for God, while discipline relies on God's fire. Some days we aren't going to feel super passionate which is why we need to go to God to receive that passion. Becoming disciplined for God means doing things that we don't want to do all the time. Our own personal drive will only get us so far. However, God's fire will carry us. Proverbs 10:17 says, "Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray." Discipline is the way to life. A lot of us are very disciplined in our eating or our exercise, but we're lacking in our spiritual life. Think of it this way, discipline is you loving God while motivation is you liking God. Hebrews 12:6 says, "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves". Discipline is a love language of God. So, every time we exhibit discipline, we are telling God we love Him. 

I once heard someone explain spiritual discipline through an analogy of conjoined twins. The story goes like this. One of the joined twins is named "Works" and the other is named "Faith". I think it's obvious to say one twin got the better name. The doctor comes into the room with the parents after the twins are born. He tells them that the twin named "Works" will be a normal baby. He will need air, food, water, and exercise like everyone else to live. "Works" is a normal baby that has physical needs. The doctor then tells the parent that the other twin "Faith" will be different. He won't need all the same things to survive. He won't need food, water, exercise, and all that. What "Faith" needs to live is the Word of God, prayer, and worship. The doctors stress to the parents that both twins must have the necessary lifestyle to survive. They have to make sure that both twins survive because if one dies, so does the other. Do you get the point I'm trying to make? "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:17-26). In this story, we are the conjoined twins. We can't just be disciplined in our bodily lifestyle and not be disciplined in our spiritual one. The way we feed our spiritual life is by seeking God. So, the key to discipline is understanding that it is a lifestyle that our physical body and our spiritual body need.

So, how do we stay disciplined in our spiritual life? The first thing I believe we need to do is to ask God for strength. Our passion fuels our purpose. When our purpose is to worship God, then it's only fitting our passion comes from Him. The Holy Spirit wants to give us the strength we need. We were never told that we needed to do it on our own. In fact, we are told the opposite in John 15:5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." It's okay to be honest with God about your struggle. He'd rather hear that than nothing from you at all. 

Next, remind yourself that being unmotivated doesn't make you a bad Christian. We all go through seasons like this, and it's how we respond to them that matters. If you need to, you may begin with something simple, but you must commit to it. I recommend starting by reading your Bible and praying three times a week. If you don't know where to start, check out the Bible App and read the Verse of the Day, followed by the time of guided prayer. Once you've developed this into a habit, increase it to every day. I think you will find that the more time you spend in God's word, the more you will crave it. Maybe even more than you crave salsa! 

In this, I recommend finding someone to hold you accountable. Having someone to help keep you on track, encourage you, and remind you where your help comes from is so valuable. I have even found that the people who hold me accountable witness and remind me of my growth more than I ever do on my own. Allow someone in your life to speak truth into you and help you on this journey. 

Finally, remind yourself that spiritual discipline isn't about guilt. In fact, guilt comes from the enemy. Conviction is what comes from God, and it is always rooted in love. Discipline isn't about taking away your freedom. Spiritual discipline isn't even all about being a better Christian. It's about helping us develop, grow, and strengthen our faith in our Savior. Truthfully, God has called us to discipline as a means of receiving His grace. Discipline places ourselves before God so that He can do what He does best: make the dead come alive. 

May your roots run deep, and your faith remain strong! As always, Stay Rooted, my friends! <3