Stop trying to compete with others. Give yourself to God and then be who you are without regard to what others think. Reduce your interests to a few. Don't try to know what will be of no service to you. Avoid the digest type of mind. Learn to pray inwardly every moment. Practice candor, childlike honesty, humility. Pray for a single eye. Read less, but more of what is important to your inner life. Call home your roving thoughts. Gaze on Christ with the eyes of your soul. Practice spiritual concentration.
--A. W. Tozer.
"Stop trying to compete with others. Give yourself to God and then be who you are without regard to what others think."
Excellent advice. I would love to get a good handle on this.
"Reduce your interests to a few."
Why? I read a book once in which the author advised the reader to find four areas in which to be expert. To keep files on those things. I would have a hard time choosing just four areas of interest. So instead I am interested in a lot of things, but expert in none. I guess that is his point.
"Avoid the digest type of mind."
That follows along the same lines, I guess.
"Learn to pray inwardly every moment."
Godly, scriptural advice. I do better at this some days than others.
"Practice candor, childlike honesty, humility."
Maybe not the childlike honesty that blurts out "Your breath smells like socks." LOL But overall, wouldn't it be nice if we all practiced these things?
"Pray for a single eye."
This is a strange sentence to me. But I guess he's talking about focus. I have been feeling the need for focus lately.
"Read less, but more of what is important to your inner life."
He lost me with the first two words. I do try to read things, whether fiction or not, that are edifying to me.
"Call home your roving thoughts."
That would require round- the- clock diligence. While I do keep a strong watch over where my thoughts wander, I let them wander. I come across some interesting ideas that way.
"Gaze on Christ with the eyes of your soul."
What a lovely line. That just makes my spirit sigh. Ahhh, yes.
"Practice spiritual concentration."
Interesting thought. To practice. To be intentional about it.
Can you sum up his quote in one line?
Do you have any comments on his thoughts?
Which line spoke to, or challenged you, the most?
I think it all is very good advice. Just because we have a mind that can take in so much we can do so many things, that doesn't mean that it is the right thing for us to do. Do all of the "things" that keep us busy matter to God? Or does it just serve to keep us busy, so we arn't doing what God wants? Thats what it made me wonder.
ReplyDeleteWhat this quote made me think is that I would have to be a whole different person if I would follow this advice. Maybe I should be a whole different person. Only as God changes me.
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to tell me to tell God I was willing to be made willing. Also good advice.
Great post! I think they are all important. I hear you on the read less (at first) because I too enjoy reading)- so important to read things that build us up like you said whether fiction or non-fiction.
ReplyDelete