I started blogging to share my adventures in running. Really, running is a discipline that I started working on in January and am still far from mastering. (Ironically, this post about discipline comes after far too long of an absence from blogging. In fact, I haven't even written a recap of the Marathon in May, which I really do plan to do.) But now that the half is over, I'm looking not only to keep up my efforts in running, but to work on living a more orderly and disciplined life. And today is the first day in a brand new discipline for me...
Today in our staff meeting we talked about sin. Specifically, the sins that plague us. The sins we just can't get around, even after we've prayed, asked for accountability, and promised ourselves that we just wouldn't do that anymore. The sermon we used to kick-start the discussion said (this is a very broad overview) that it isn't sin we should be fighting against, but rather knowledge of God we should be fighting for. One phrase that really struck me suggested (strongly) that we should be seeking to reach a point where we are so satisfied in Christ that the temptation to sin no longer distracts us. Think about it. Our hearts are so full of Jesus, that there just isn't room for sin to appeal to them. Yeah, I'd like that life! No more shame or guilt or frustration, just Christ and a satisfaction in him.
So the last question of our discussion was really a challenge: how can we draw nearer to God, to know him more and know sin less? For me this wasn't very hard to figure out.
Here is the reality of my life. I really, really think that I am too busy. I find myself thinking all the time "How do I have this many things on my schedule!?" and rushing to get from one meeting to another. But I am in actuality, not as busy as I think I am. And here's how I know that. In the last three weeks I've watched a little more than two seasons of Doctor Who and probably 10 other episodes of miscellaneous TV shows (Grey's Anatomy, Arrested Development, Hell's Kitchen just to name a few). That is a lot of time spent with the Doctor (9th, and 10th for those of you who care to know) and his companions on Netflix and Hulu....I mean a lot of time. And while I really do enjoy television and think there are some very good things to watch, I just really do not need to watch quite so much.
So how can I, personally, draw nearer to God? Cut the TV.
This is a major life decision for me. I love pop culture, like really love it. In my life since high school I've probably averaged about 25 hours of TV a week. I never drive without the radio on. If I'm not on Facebook, I'm on Buzzfeed. I love this stuff. I even studied it in college (yeah, that's part of a Communications major people!). But all of the time I spend with things the world is offering me, even if they are good things (which okay Grey's maybe isn't the best the world has to offer...) keep me from spending time with the Lord. I can't pray and watch Doctor Who, I can't read the Word as Gordon Ramsey screams at the poor chefs trying to win his game show, and I can't listen to what my husband is saying to me while I'm reading an article about the cast of the next MTV Challenge. I just can't.
So for the next 40 days I'll be on a TV fast. I'm not sure of the rules just yet, will I let myself watch TV on the treadmill at the gym? or maybe have one program a week? or any of those details (but I will be taking them all to God in prayer as I get started). Today is the first day of my fast and I've been home for an hour and a half without turning on the TV.
So far I don't like it very much. I think it's more because my routine is to come home and turn something on without even thinking about it. It's hard for me to sit here in silence with nothing to see and hear. Right now it feels like more of an issue of a disrupted routine than a spiritual discipline, but I'm sure the challenges will develop and change as the days go by.
As I said, what I really want to do is live a more orderly and disciplined life and I believe this will be a good step in that direction. Without a show to watch, I'm hoping to get back out and running and spend more time reading. I also want to work on prayer, possibly even starting my first ever prayer journal!
I started blogging about running in an effort to track the way I became more physically disciplined. Over the months I spent training for the marathon I realized there were so many spiritual lessons to be learned in the discipline of running. It honestly amazed me. As I work my way back into running, today I'm starting a new discipline. I'm looking forward to sharing my life without TV with you, and maybe, if I'm dual-disciplined, with my running sneakers too.
