Dear Friends, I am sorry that I have not been on the blog for a couple of weeks. I have had some added time constraints. I had jury duty. It was an enlightening experience for me, but time consuming.

A trial is a slow process. We had quite a few delays and breaks. I was reading some books on the spiritual disciplines while I waited. In one, “The Spirit of the Disciplines”, Dallas Willard explained that many activities can be spiritual disciplines if they help curb our sinful tendencies. I found that interesting, but couldn’t think of a non-traditional discipline that would benefit me. I found one as the trial wore on.

I discovered that I was frustrated and upset that I couldn’t ask other peoples’ opinions on what I was learning about. I heard a lot of evidence and received quite a bit of new information, but I was allowed to discuss it with no one. I had to think it through and make my own decisions. I wasn’t even allowed to do research.

This was so hard for me. Of course, I could discuss it with God. I found that this helped some, but I was still afraid that
I could be making the wrong choice, and I wanted other people to confirm my decision. Through this unexpected form of discipline, I learned that I am much too dependent on the opinions of others in my decision making. I need to depend on the Lord.

Paul was not concerned about the opinions of men. He was focused on what God wanted him to do. This is what he wrote, “but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4, NASB95). I need to have this same attitude because I want to please God who sees my heart, and not worry so much about peoples’ opinions.

The only way I am going to learn this is by learning to make some decisions with God’s help alone. I can depend on him. He will lead me and guide me. I don’t always need to have a consensus of everyone I know before I act. If I act in the power of the Spirit, and by the leading of God, I will be make right decisions.

I am confident now that the trial is over that the decision I came to with God’s help was the right one. It was easy to decide when the time came. Things were extremely clear. I learned a valuable lesson in this process. I need to trust God and his power to lead me. I also learned that I am much too dependent on others opinions. To fight these issues in my life, I am going to adopt the spiritual discipline of making some decisions without the opinions of people. I will learn to rely on God.