Do & Done Disciplines

"Intimacy, through rest, appropriation, and meditating on God's love, ends the need for hiding truth about ourselves." - Dr. Steve Smith

Done Disciplines

Rest

Rest as a discipline is about stopping our trying... and just being with God. It is allowing ourselves to hear how He loves and accepts us before we try any heavy lifting. In fact, it is in resting that we find God is the One who has already done all the heavy lifting. He invites us to find this out by being with Him quietly, reflectively, receptively.

Rest refutes our personal self-talk. One of the greatest needs is to rest from judging ourselves; from beating ourselves up internally; from saving the enemy work by believing the worst about ourselves - without resting in God's delight to have us as His child.

Rest is being with God without an agenda. It means being ready to to listen and hear what God has for you - mercy, grace, love, restoration. [It is] unstructured time with Him, allowing Him to guide you and reveal to you His desires for you.

you will have to make time intentionally. you will never find time for this! You will have to get away from distractions.

Appropriation

...So often when we are at our wit's end over the unfinished business of our lives, we find ourselves asking God for spiritual stuff as if our cupboard is bare... It is not unusual for people to think of seeing the hope, riches, and power at a distance like a goal to be reached somehow, or a treasure room to one day enter in heaven. But these resources are already in our souls, placed there by an intimate, loving God who knows our need better than we do ourselves.

So what is appropriation? [It is] freely taking what is there for you without hesitation. No begging. No fear. Your need filled at the moment you reach out to take.

"In order to appropriate something in our daily walk in Christ, there are two essentials: to see what is already ours in Christ and to be aware of our nee for it." - Myles Standford

Why should the discipline of appropriation be important for you? Like the rest of us, you have failed by trying to deal with your own unfinished business using your own resources. [Instead,] Take what is yours already. Move forward in wholeness with God, empowered by the resources you have been given.

Meditating on God's Love

There is nothing we can do to make God love us more; There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.

The single most critical factor in healing your unfinished business is the love of God. The personal grip of His love is our greatest security in this alarming process of transformation... For your true journey of being conformed to Jesus' image, you must have a daily knowing of [God's] changeless love.