One of my favorite parts of My Utmost for His Highest is how the devotionals often center round a theme. This week Oswald focuses on building habits and new patterns for our lives, but he puts a twist on each of his suggested “habits” that should make us all stop and think. I hope you are challenged by the following thoughts like I was.
May 13th – Make a Habit of Having No Habits
There are times when we are conscious of becoming virtuous and patient and godly, but it is only a stage; if we stop there we shall get the strut of the spiritual prig. The right thing to do with habits is to lose them in the life of the Lord, until every habit is so practiced that there is no conscious habit at all.
May 14th – The Habit of a Good Conscience
God always educates us down to the scruple. Is my ear so keen to hear the tiniest whisper of the Spirit that I know what I should do? “Grieve not the Holy Spirit.”
He does not come with a voice like thunder; His voice is so gentle that it is easy to ignore it.
May 15th – The Habit of Enjoying the Disagreeable
…it is the disagreeable things which make us exhibit whether or not we are manifesting His life. Do I manifest the essential sweetness of the Son of God, or the essential irritation of myself apart from Him? … No matter how disagreeable a thing may be, say – “Lord, I am delighted to obey Thee in this matter,” and instantly the Son of God will press to the front…
May 16th – The Habit of Rising to the Occasion
Peter says – “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you.” Rise to the occasion; do the thing. It does not matter how it hurts as long as it gives God the chance to manifest Himself in your mortal flesh…Our Lord never dictated to His Father, and we are not here to dictate to God; we are here to submit…When we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine to feed and nourish others…
May 17th – The Habit of Wealth
We think it a sign of real modesty to say…”Oh, well, I have just got through, but it has been a severe tussle.” And [yet] the Almighty God …will tax the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will obey Him…No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it obliterates God and puts self-interest upon the throne.
Each of these days deserves a week of contemplation, in my opinion. I hope you’ll go back and read the entire devotionals if you haven’t already, then hit the comment button and let me know what spoke most to you.
I really, REALLY want to hear from you! Let’s “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”