Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
To cultivate active discipline in our lives, we must commit to doing what we ought to do even when we lack the desire to do so. This determination stems from the decision of pressing!
Pressing in the greek is diōkō (dee-o-ko):
to chase; hunt; pursue - to persecute: meaning to cause to suffer, whether physically or emotionally.
How do we pre-determine to press?
SETTLE THE NON-NEGOTIABLES
There is a key figure in the OT that did this the best. He determined what he would and wouldn't do long before the he was faced with peer pressure or the emotion of a situation. We see that God honors this type of righteous resolve!
Daniel 1:8 (NLT)
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.
They didn’t like that Daniel was successful because of God’s blessing. So they made a law that no one could pray! But Daniel was not moved…
Daniel 6:10 (NLT)
But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.
A NON-NEGOTIABLE IS SOMETHING DEEP DOWN THAT I HAVE DETERMINED IS IMPORTANT AND I WILL NEVER BE MOVED FROM. IT IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE OR CHANGE! IT IS AN ABSOLUTE TO ME AND I CAN’T BE MOVED AWAY FROM IT NOT EVEN FOR A SECOND!
STACK GODLY BRICKS
Psalm 127:1–2 (NLT)
Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. 2 It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
Psalm 119:105 (NLT)
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
Matthew 7:24–27 (MSG)
These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. 26–27 “But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”
We are builders, stacking either Godly bricks or Bad bricks. We determine what we build.
Emotion often emerges as a byproduct of misbehavior or inaction in a past moment. It's essential to accept God's forgiveness and extend that grace to ourselves. Allowing emotions to dictate our day perpetuates the stacking of faulty bricks that crumble under life's pressures due to a lack of revelation of grace and forgiveness. When our non-negotiables are predetermined by God, we are filled with His word, understanding that the blood covers all, and all is made new.
Non-negotiables must be honored regardless of our emotional state. Delaying obedience diminishes past investments and typically undermines progress. By consistently stacking good bricks, we limit the influence of emotion over our actions and decisions.
WE LAY BRICKS EVEN WHEN THE INCLINATION WANES! WE ESTABLISH NON-NEGOTIABLES FOR OUR SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY, COMMITTING TO THEM WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT TODAY'S SACRIFICE YIELDS TOMORROW'S REWARD.
WHAT ARE SOME SIMPLE SPIRIT NON-NEGOTIABLES?
- I WILL NOT LET A DAY GO BY THAT I DON'T WORSHIP
- I WILL NOT LET A DAY GO BY THAT I DON'T PRAY
- I WILL NOT LET A DAY GO BY THAT I DON'T READ AT LEAST A CHAPTER OF GOD'S WORD AND LEARN HOW TO APPLY IT
- I WILL NOT SKIP CHURCH BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL LIKE GOING
- I WILL HONOR GOD WITH MY FIRST FRUITS
Maybe you've never read your bible with intent - here is how you can start!
- Start in the book of John (it's right after Luke
- Next go to the book of Acts and go in order to Revelation (understand revelation is prophetic)
- Once you have a good grasp of the NT and what Jesus has done start in Genesis and read on through to Malachi (or get a chronological bible to help with timelines)