Confronting Crisis in the Full-time Serving Life
Message Six: Preventing and Being Rescued from a Deformed Daily Life

Preventing a Deformed Daily Life (Continued)

B. Be Watchful

The previous points have had to do with our soberness in spiritual things. The second virtue we need to exercise if we are to be protected from an improper daily life is watchfulness. Soberness has to do with our attitude. Watchfulness has to do with our exercise.

1. Watch what fills your heart.

The first thing we must be watchful for is what fills our heart. The thing that fills our heart will become our life. And what fills our heart comes in initially through just one thought. That thought grows and grows until it becomes a mountain that fills your heart. Sometimes we call this thought a "burden," but oftentimes it is just a thought that has filled our heart.

I knew of a brother who was so saturated with the thought of being prominent in the Lord's recovery that he utilized anything and anyone that aided this cause. Once he invited me to a restaurant and situated me with him in such a way so as to be noticed by everyone who came into the restaurant. I realized that I was on display. When a person's heart is saturated with something, he will do anything to gain it.

It is very common for our heart to become occupied with something. When you are driving, perhaps a particular car will come to mind. If that fills your heart, pretty soon you will find yourself spending your time to find a way to possess that particular car. You will consider prices, financing, budgeting, etc., and your spiritual life will suffer. I have learned a secret regarding how to deal with this. If something begins to bother you in this way, and if it is a proper matter, just take care of it and be done with it. Don't abide in it. A person's heart can too easily become occupied with things other than Christ, and things other than God's economy. Even spiritual things can occupy our heart, such as the number of saints who attend the meetings. We like to see large numbers, but the Lord admonishes us not to care for the outward things, but rather to rejoice that our names are inscribed in the heavens (Luke 10:20). We pay so much attention to the temporary things, and much too little attention to the eternal things. If the Lord and His economy are not occupying our heart, many other things will come in to direct our daily life.

2. Watch for the first compromise.

When I was younger, I used to go to a barber college to get my hair cut because I didn't have much money. Then one day I decided to go to a real barber. After I had done that, I found that I couldn't go back to the barber college anymore. In our daily life the first change always means a lot. Whenever you consider doing something differently, you really have to be before the Lord. Perhaps you feel you need a better car. In the beginning, it didn't matter what you drove. Then one day you had the thought you would like a more comfortable car. Once you get that more comfortable car, you will find it very difficult to go back to a model similar to the one you were driving before. This doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't get a better car, but you have to be watchful concerning such things.

Compromise basically comes in by three means: reasoning, circumstance, and desire. When we reason about something, we just try to figure out how we can justify the compromise. We rationalize that we deserve it or that we need it. You may need it, but don't let that thing fill you. You don't need to submit to that kind of reasoning. Be before the Lord.

Sometimes, however, things come to us by circumstance. Perhaps it just so happened that someone provided something for us that was different from what we were used to, and we enjoyed it. Don't think that it is always a blessing to receive something in this way. If someone gives you a nice couch for your living room, you may find yourself having to buy other things to match it! One time I qualified for an upgrade from "coach" to "executive class" on an airline flight. Later it was hard for me to return to coach. If an occasion such as this comes along, you have to be aware of how it may affect you.

Compromise can also come about because of our desire. For example, suppose your daughter wants to see a particular musical. You may feel that it would be worthwhile to spend some time with your daughter and see something of American culture. You need to consider, however, whether that desire is worthwhile. You need to consider before the Lord over such a matter. For this you also need to exercise discipline. Without discipline you would spontaneously follow every desire that comes to you. On the other hand you also cannot reject every desire. That would be peculiar. You need to exercise wisdom before the Lord, and you also need discipline.

3. Watch for the formation of improper habits.

It is one thing to allow yourself to do something which may be considered a compromise. It is another thing to allow something to become your habit. For a person to have a hobby or pastime is one thing. But for a thing to occupy a person, so that he is in it habitually, is another matter. I often watch the television news, but if I felt that I just had to watch it every day, and I refuse to do other things during that time period, it would indicate I had become addicted to it. Such habits are improper and will really hurt you in your daily life.

II. How to be Rescued from Improper Things in your Daily Life

All the previous points concern how to prevent your daily life from becoming deformed. But how do you rescue yourself from the improper things once they have crept in? Concerning this there are four points.

A. Know the real situation.

Firstly, you must know what items in your daily life need to be dealt with. If you are not even aware of what items are damaging your effectiveness, then you will not be able to deal with them. For instance, you may enjoy listening to classical music. You feel that it is uplifting and makes your life meaningful. You therefore spend hours listening to various composers. You have no realization of how it has robbed you and wasted your time. Once you have the knowledge of what is really going on, you can be helped. If by the Lord's mercy you can bring your entire daily life, item by item, before the Lord, then you will receive much light from Him regarding your real situation.

B. Keep yourself challenged spiritually.

One problem with our daily life is that we have too much excess time. This is why we need to keep ourselves challenged spiritually. Whenever a spiritual challenge comes, it will fill our excess time. We may not be in sin or corruption, but day in and day out nothing is being produced. If that is the case, then first, we need the knowledge that something is not proper. Second, we need to receive the dispensing of the divine life so that it might generate in us a spiritual challenge. Once we become charged in this way we will become occupied with what is healthy and profitable.

C. Exercise companionship.

You need some brothers whom you can open up to, and who can also be honest with you. Then they will be able to render you the kind of help you need. You need some companions who can stand with you, pray with you, and even rebuke you for the sake of bringing you into what is healthy.

D. Learn to fast and pray.

Your daily life is extremely important. For example, your ability to pass through spiritual warfare has much to do with what kind of conscience you have. And what kind of conscience you have has much to do with what kind of daily life you have. Your daily life is deciding your capacity and your potential in handling spiritual warfare. So to a certain degree you need to learn how to fast. For instance, you may sense a leakage in your daily life because of something improper that has formed in you. What should you do? You should fast and pray. Fasting is a strong exercise to handle a certain thing. The Lord said that for some difficult cases we need to fast and pray. When we become aware of something improper in our daily life and it is too much for us to handle, we should fast and tell the Lord, "Lord, You handle it, and I will handle it with You." This kind of prayer and fasting will do much to restore your daily life. I don't encourage you to fast in a ritualistic way, such as on a particular day of the week. But we should know how to fast if we mean business in serving the Lord.

You should have the realization that your daily life determines your usefulness, more than does your desire. Eventually how useful you are depends on what kind of daily life you live. We shouldn't let our daily life become deformed. We must be sober and watchful concerning our daily life. May the Lord have mercy to rescue us from anything improper.