Being Shushed: Disposition and Passion and Quietness

Does God care about our disposition?

Is there a proper disposition for a Christian?

What part does passion play in the life of a Christian?

Does God Care About Our Disposition?

Our disposition . . . the posture of our inner person . . . directs the nature of our character.
It establishes the perspective of our will.
It is the launching pad for our behavior and speech.
We live from our disposition.

For example, if we are surly and sullen of disposition, our actions and speech proceed from a dark, angry place. If our disposition is fearful and timid, we do and speak things that attempt to keep us safe and curry favor with those who could hurt us. If our disposition leans towards a crass, bawdy tenor, we speak and do things that delight brassy people but embarrass or insult those who are more conservative and reserved.

I believe God cares very much about our disposition.

It can be a springboard for wisdom, discernment, and works of compassion . . . if is seasoned with the Truth of God’s Word and the counsel of the Holy Spirit.

It can, however, be an impetus for all manner of hurtful, damaging things . . . if it isn’t bowed in conscious submission to the Lord of All.


Is There a Proper Disposition for a Christian?

Paul, in the book of Philippians, dared to speak about the proper disposition of a Christian.
I say “dared to speak” because there is a popular notion in today’s church:
God loves everyone,
accepts everyone just like they are,
and desires that everyone feel free and comfortable in their own skin.

There is an idea that God covers any shortcomings of our dispositions (or personalities)
with His grace
or His forgiveness
or His understanding
without expecting us to make any changes at all.

Some argue that since He created us, He delights in our quirks . . . even if they don’t lean toward purity.

Therefore, following in this line of thinking, we must be dutiful children. We must restrain from any expectations or any admonitions concerning righteous living and its impact upon our disposition. The passage from Philippians dispels this popular myth of I’m okay - you’re okay - no need to fret.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. Phil 2:1-16 (NIV)

God does love us just like we are, but He desires that we become something more.
Something holy.
Something that requires daily submission, daily repentance, and daily change.
He wants us to become something like His Son.


What Part Does a Passionate Disposition Play 
in the Life of a Christian?

A passionate, sincere disposition is in vogue these days.

Passion is heroic.
We see passion as a noble motivation behind acts of generosity.
We think it brings depth and fire to human affection.
We believe it is necessary for athletes to win their competitions.
We look for it in our leaders because we feel that it conveys strength and conviction.
Passion is an acceptable defense . . . even in courts of law . . . to excuse menacing, hateful crimes of violence.

Passionate statements.
Passionate pursuits.
Passionate crusades.
Passionate beliefs.

In order to understand who a person is, we look to see what they are passionate about.
We believe that their passions define them.
And if someone is truly sincere in their passion, we deem them saintly.
Very passionate . . . sincerely passionate  =  very good.

But a love of passion can be misguided . . . or even bad.
A person can be passionately wrong.
Or passionately destructive.
Or passionately deceptive.
Or even passionately deceived.
Passion is the currency of the flesh.
And the flesh is in opposition to the Spirit . . . even if it is truly sincere.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. Galatians 5:16-17

Paul lists the deeds of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21,). Note the heavy tones of a passion in each one of them:

immorality,

impurity,

sensuality,

idolatry,

sorcery,

enmities,

strife,

jealousy,

outbursts of anger,

disputes,

dissensions,

factions ,

envying,

drunkenness,

carousing,

and things like these,

of which I forewarn you . . .

Then he lists fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24).

love,

joy,

peace,

patience,

kindness,

goodness,

faithfulness,

gentleness,

self-control

Fruits of the spirit do not speak of passion and of noise.
They can never be manufactured in the human heart . . . or the human disposition . . . by passionate effort.
 They are things that can only come from a quieted spirit.
Quieted from its loud boastings.
Quieted from its unsated desires.
Quieted from its worrying apprehensions.
Quieted from its own sense of purpose and destiny.

The fruits of the Spirit can only come from a spirit that kneels in the presence of The Holy One and says, “You, Lord . . . instead of me.”

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:24-25)

Passion may be fun and exciting and temporarily satisfying.
It may even be poignantly inspiring when it is sincere.
But it is also shallow and fickle and leaves you ultimately emptied.
Passion cannot buy God.
And it cannot buy the things of God.
And it cannot convey God’s character or His benefits or His Life to others.
Because passion is all about self.
And God is about so much more.

But what about Christianity? 
What about a passionate pursuit of God? 
And about being passionately pursued by Him?

Here are some quotes from Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest. I leave them to conclude this blog about disposition and passion and quietness:

Oh, the clamour of these days!

Everyone is clamouring - for what?

For the Son of God to be put to death.

There is no room here for the Son of God just now,

no room for quiet holy communion with the Father . . .

Most of us can do things if we are always at the heroic pitch

because of the natural selfishness of our hearts,

but God wants us at the drab commonplace pitch,

where we live in the valley

according to our personal relationship to Him . . .

Whether or not I hear God's call

depends upon the state of my ears;

and what I hear

depends upon my disposition . . .

The passion of Christianity is

that I deliberately sign away my own rights

and become a bond-slave of Jesus Christ.

Until I do that,

I do not begin to be a saint.

Psalms 46:10-11

Lesa K. Reid

Being Shushed: Psalm 103

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

I heard the hammering and sawing before I saw the carpenters.  It is the rhythmical noise of things being made.  Built.  Like a song . . . the percussion of hammer and spinning blade on wood . . . the melody of measurements being communicated from the top of the ladder down to the man at the saw . . . the harmony of intermittent laughter as craftsmen enjoy their work.  People will live in this house one day.  Perhaps babies will be born.  Children might climb trees in the wooded back yard.  Maybe an aging couple will sit on the deck and look toward my East Tennessee ridges and find peace, solace, inspiration, rest.  Building is in the heart and soul of our family.  I love to walk down to the job site and just listen.  And watch.

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

The hands of carpenters always fascinate me.  Rough, strong hands.  Cracked and dry from overexposure to the weather.  Often with fresh cuts next to faded, old scars.  They tell a story of hard work, dreams, artistry and skill earned through diligence and patience.  Hands that serve by giving things . . . things that become hidden from view or overlooked through familiarity or simply used without thought of the hands that made them. 

The Lord performs righteous deeds

And judgments for all who are oppressed.

He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the sons of Israel.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

 So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

It is deeply satisfying to live by the work of your own hands.  To dream and to create.  And at the end of the day, when everything has been cleaned up and put away, to see the progress that was made.   As I contemplate this holiday season that begins with the bounty and the warmth of Thanksgiving, it isn’t benefits or blessings that keep coming to my mind.  It is hands.  Father’s Hands.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He Himself knows our frame;

He is mindful that we are but dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,

And its place acknowledges it no longer.

But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children's children,

To those who keep His covenant

And remember His precepts to do them.

There are so many good things in my life that I cannot even begin to count them. 

But in all of the blessings . . .

And all the sweetness . . .

And even in the difficulties . . .

And especially in the sorrows . . .

It has been the Giver, not the gifts, that causes my heart to rejoice in grateful praise.

To walk hand-in-hand with the Creator of the universe . . .

And watch His handiwork . . .

And see His dreams being built . . .

And dream along with Him . . .

That is what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

To live in and with and by the Work of His Hands is a great and glorious blessing.

But to see and feel my tiny hand engulfed in His . . .

to simply be His . . .

that is the greatest blessing of all.

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,

And His sovereignty rules over all.

Bless the Lord, you His angels,

Mighty in strength, who perform His word,

Obeying the voice of His word!

Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,

You who serve Him, doing His will.

Bless the Lord, all you works of His,

In all places of His dominion;

Bless the Lord,

O my soul!

May your Thanksgiving be filled with Him.

Psalms 46:10-11
Lesa K. Reid 

Being Shushed: Revelations and Resolutions

When I got up this morning, the simple rhythm of my day unfolded with dependable routine . . . taking the poodles outside for their morning “potty walk” . . . chatting with my husband in his office about his current Bible study . . . taking my vitamins . . . pouring a cup of hot apple cider . . . putting some bread in the toaster . . . It was all so typical. So familiar. So comfortable.

Then as I began to open a jar of peach preserves, an image of my grandmother wandered into my mind. She was sitting on the front porch of her white farmhouse in the cool shade of a warm summer afternoon. I could hear a crisp snap . . . snap . . . snap . . . as her small, strong, wrinkled hands filled the large bowl in her lap with a pile of green beans for tomorrow’s Sunday dinner. I could see her snow-white hair neatly swirled into a tight bun, her old-fashioned black shoes perfectly laced, and her work apron spread generously over her stockinged knees. And I could almost feel the warm summer breeze wafting across Uncle Charles’s verdant cow pasture across the front yard.

Granmaw was thinking and I could see by the determination in her eyes that she had made a decision. “I’m of a mind to walk down to that house and set him straight,” she said in her clear, frail, determined voice. I knew she was talking about the hired hand that lived at the lower end of the dairy farm. Way back in the far pasture, past the chicken coop, down the hill from the milking barn. Granmaw kept a keen eye on this man’s children . . . their grooming, their behavior, the look of their cheeks . . . and she had decided that this man needed to tend to his household with a bit more diligence. Once Granmaw was “of a mind” to do something, she always did it.

As the nostalgic scene melted into a fog of pleasant memories, the still, quiet voice of the Holy Spirit gently guided me back into the realm of today. “What are you of a mind to do, dear?” He asked me simply.

The question hung in the air like fog hovering over the Smoky Mountain vista outside my kitchen window. Not challenging. Not demanding. Not even with a sense of exhortation. It was just a simple inquiry. So alone, in the solitude of my morning kitchen, I quieted my soul to see if I could find an answer. What was I of a mind to do?

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus . . . something Paul had said in one of his letters. (I found it later in Philippians chapter 2). I began to think that I was of a mind to do exactly what the Lord wanted me to do. But THAT . . . I full-well knew . . . was a loaded proposition.

I have heard so much bluster lately about the necessity of walking in the Grace of God. Legalism is touted as an extreme evil. Getting a deeper revelation of what God has already done for believers seems to be the latest craze. But lost in all that condemnation and revelation is my immediate necessity to see God and follow Him right now . . . right here . . . with what I already understand . . . through the circumstances that I face at this very moment. For sure I need to know Him more. For sure I need to grow in my maturity to manifest His character and His love. But there in my kitchen this morning, before the busyness of my day had an opportunity to start dictating my schedule, my life seemed to be clarified and invigorated by a calm, quiet, simple question:

“What are you of a mind to do, dear?”

Then I began to see why He was asking.

In the same way I had experienced the memory of Grandmaw on her front porch, I began to see the difficulties that have been crowding into my life . . . even the really hard things that have come just this past week. They lined up in perfect formation . . . one-by-one in my thoughts . . . like starched, polished soldiers ready for inspection. It was all very real. I began to feel the pain. Sorrow swelled and spilled into unsure places of my heart. Fear slinked darkly around the corners of unspoken doubts. Very much my life. And very much now.

“What are you of a mind to do, dear?” the Holy Spirit asked again . . . simply and quietly.

All I could think of was a simple answer.
“What are You of a mind to do, Lord?”
Nothing else came to mind. I knew I was answering a question with a question, but that was all I had.

Then I waited.
And listened.

In my younger years I would have answered His question differently. There would be a number of things I would be of a mind to do. I would quote scripture. I would pray. I would march onto the battlefield of sickness, sorrow, injustice, and fear with a sword in my hand, a hollerin’ war-cry on my lips, and fire in my heart . . . warring my way through to God’s glorious victory in every circumstance.

But I am of a mind to do things differently these days.
I am of a mind to be of His mind.
No matter what that looks like.

For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said,

"In repentance and rest you will be saved,

In quietness and trust is your strength."

But you were not willing,

And you said, "No, for we will flee on horses,"

Therefore you shall flee!

"And we will ride on swift horses,

" Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.

Isaiah 30:15-16 (NASB).

It has become very clear to me that what I am of a mind to do . . . is exactly what I will do.
My disposition, my thought processes, my opinions, and my personal resolve pretty much dictate my actions. And my actions pretty much reflect whom I trust
. . . whom I worship
. . . who I imitate.

So I have begun to take Isaiah 30:15-16 to heart.
And to mind.
And even to . . . disposition.
Here is what I see. It may seem overly simplified, but elegant simplicity is often what is needed in difficult, heart-rending circumstances.

I am of a mind to be:
repentant . . . to the point that change really happens
at rest . . . from striving and from strife
quieted . . . from complaining or boasting or justifying or speculating
trusting . . . in God alone
. . . at the expense of personal pride
. . . allowing no situation, no philosophy, and no relationship to broker my faith.

In repentance and rest is my salvation.
In quietness and trust is my strength.
I will leave the swift horses for those who need them.
I just need the Lord.

I am of a mind to believe the Lord.
To allow Him full reign in every nook and cranny and situation of my life.
To be changed by the Truth of Who He is and what He wants.

I am of a mind to be still . . . and know . . . that He is God.
Psalm 46:10

Psalms 46:10-11
Lesa K. Reid