What's most important for spiritually inclined people to cultivate

Published: Fri, 02/08/19

Renew Weekly

Friday 02.08.19

I equip people to serve God and others in a way that is both fruitful and sustainable. I do this through teaching, writing, and coaching. This newsletter is part of that work.

What you'll find in this issue:

1. Personal Update: Thailand ... later

2. "Leaving Your Mark Without Losing Your Mind" is available

3. FEATURE ARTICLE -- What's most important for spiritually inclined people to cultivate ... and it's not what you think

4. Quote of the week

1. A personal update: Thailand trip is postponed

This past week my wife Charlene and I made the decision to postpone our trip to Thailand, until either later this year or early 2020. We're still working out the details with YWAM Thailand and Bethel Church about when this trip will take place. We are really looking forward to going and serving there, but felt we needed to do it later, for these reasons:

Although the church never asked us to delay this trip, it became clear to me that it would be hard to be away for this amount of time when I'm just getting started in my new role as pastor. The trip to Thailand itself would take over two weeks, but beyond that, there's a lot of preparation work to do for the teaching while I'm there, and fundraising to get there.
We've been living at an unsustainably fast pace since early Fall of 2018, when I was finishing up my book and preparing for its launch. In the midst of that came the decision to take the call to a new church, the move, and now settling in to a new community and busy church. After writing a book about "Leaving Your Mark Without Losing Your Mind," I thought it was probably wise to listen to my own advice, and live in a healthy, sustainable way.
We would like for the church to get to know more about the work in Thailand, and have the chance to learn more about what Charlene and I will do there. We thought it might be better if we had more time to lay the groundwork at Bethel Church, so that they could be more involved in supporting and praying for this work.

We will keep you posted about our plans for this trip. In the meantime, please pray for the counseling ministry of YWAM Thailand.

2. "Eight Keys to Lasting Recovery" -- no longer an audio product, but a live seminar

From 2006 to 2011, I worked in the recovery field ... teaching about recovery, coordinating training events, and facilitating support groups. I learned a lot, especially from Mark Laaser, who was the leader of the organization I partnered with.

It didn't take long for me that see that recovery is a multi-faceted issue, and many -- if not most -- recovery teachers and programs are built around one or two of the issues. But there are not just one to two issues to deal with when it comes to recovery, there are -- as I think about it -- no less than eight (brain chemistry, early life trauma, family of origin issues, spiritual disconnection, to name a few).

Over the years I created a program called "Eight Keys to Lasting Recovery," and have taught this in multiple settings. I used to make recordings of this program available, but now I'm only offering this teaching in a live seminar.

If you're interested in having me present this to your group, let me know.

3. FEATURE ARTICLE: What's most important for spiritually inclined people to cultivate ... and it's not what you think

Early church writer John Cassian calls it "the mother of all virtues"

“Wisdom is knowledge which has become a part of one’s being.” - Orison Swett Marden

One of my favorite authors these days is John Cassian. Cassian lived from around 360CE to 430CE. He was a prolific writer, and is credited with bringing much of the wisdom of the early church fathers -- specifically the desert fathers -- to the West. When I read his writing, it's striking how relevant and challenging it is over 1600 years later. Once you get past some of the out of date language from translations that were made nearly a century ago, his teaching seems more relevant and helpful today than much of what you'll find into Christian bookstores today.

I want to share an excerpt from his writing, where he addresses the question: What's the most important virtue for a spiritually inclined person to cultivate?

Just think about that question for a minute. How would you answer it? You might say "love," or "spiritual zeal," or maybe "self-denial."

In answering this question, John Cassian tells a story, and appeals to something he learned from one of the old monks he met early in his life. (This comes from the book Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol 11.) You'll notice that he talks here about "perfection," which may raise some questions. From the broader context of Cassian's writings, it becomes clear that he uses this term not in the sense of moral perfection or sinlessness. It's more a matter of maturity or completeness ... being "fully developed."

Listen to his story:

I remember that while I was still a boy, in the region of Thebaid, where the blessed Antony lived, the elders came to him to inquire about perfection. And though the conference lasted from evening till morning, the greatest part of the night was taken up with this question.

For it was discussed at great length what virtue or observance could preserve a man always unharmed by the snares and deceits of the devil, and carry him forward on a sure and right path, and with firm step to the heights of perfection. And each one gave his opinion according to the bent of his own mind ...

The greater part of the night had been spent in this discussion, then at last the blessed Antony spoke and said:

'All these things which you have mentioned are indeed needful, and helpful to those who are thirsting for God, and desirous to approach Him. But countless accidents and the experience of many people will not allow us to make the most important of gifts consist in them. For often when men are most strict in fasting or in vigils, and nobly withdraw into solitude, and aim at depriving themselves of all their goods so absolutely that they do not suffer even a day’s allowance of food or a single penny to remain to them, and when they fulfill all the duties of kindness with the utmost devotion, yet still we have seen them suddenly deceived, so that they could not bring the work they had entered upon to a suitable close, but brought their exalted fervour and praiseworthy manner of life to a terrible end.

Just to clarify something: in Cassian's context, high value was placed on spiritual fervency, manifested in things like giving away all one's possessions and living an ascetic life, engaging in severe self-denial in food ... to the detriment of health, and sometimes even leading to death, and other acts of self-denial. Sometimes there is a fine line between spiritual zeal and craziness. The elder Antony tells some of these stories, and then goes on to say this:

'Wherefore we shall be able clearly to recognize what it is which mainly leads to God, if we trace out with greater care the reason of their downfall and deception. For when the works of the above mentioned virtues were abounding in them, discretion alone was wanting, and allowed them not to continue even to the end. Nor can any other reason for their falling off be discovered except that as they were not sufficiently instructed by their elders they could not obtain judgment and discretion, which passing by excess on either side, teaches a man always to walk along the royal road, and does not suffer him to be puffed up on the right hand of virtue, i.e., from excess of zeal to transgress the bounds of due moderation in foolish presumption, nor allows him to be enamoured of slackness and turn aside to the vices on the left hand, i.e., under pretext of controlling the body, to grow slack with the opposite spirit of luke-warmness.'

Note that he uses the word "discretion." This was translated many years ago, and I think the word "discretion" is understood more narrowly today. Maybe a better word would be "wisdom" or "discernment". Now we continue with Cassian's own voice:

For no one can doubt that when the judgment of our heart goes wrong, and is overwhelmed by the night of ignorance, our thoughts and deeds, which are the result of deliberation and discretion, must be involved in the darkness of still greater sins....

Such is discretion, which is called the guidance of our life: as it said “Those who have no guidance, fall like leaves.” It is most truly named counsel, without which the authority of Scripture allows us to do nothing, so that we are not even permitted to take that spiritual “wine which maketh glad the heart of man” without its regulating control: as it is said “Do everything with counsel, drink thy wine with counsel,” and again “like a city that has its walls destroyed and is not fenced in, so is a man who does anything without counsel.”

And how injurious the absence of this is to a man, the illustration and figure in the passage quoted shows, by comparing it to a city that is destroyed and without walls. Herein lies wisdom, herein lies intelligence and understanding without which our inward house cannot be built, nor can spiritual riches be gathered together, as it is said: “A house is built with wisdom, and again it is set up with intelligence. With understanding the storehouses are filled with all precious riches and good things.”

This I say is “solid food,” which can only be taken by those who are full grown and strong, as it is said: “But solid food is for full grown men, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.” And it is shown to be useful and necessary for us, only in so far as it is in accordance with the word of God and its powers, as is said “For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and reaching even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,” and by this it is clearly shown that no virtue can possibly be perfectly acquired or continue without the grace of discretion.

And so by the judgment of the blessed Antony as well as of all others it has been laid down that it is discretion which leads a fearless man by fixed stages to God, and preserves the virtues mentioned above continually intact, by means of which one may ascend with less weariness to the extreme summit of perfection, and without which even those who toil most willingly cannot reach the heights of perfection. For discretion is the mother of all virtues, as well as their guardian and regulator.

4. Quote of the week:

"Do not concern yourself with what others do or leave undone. It is not your responsibility to evaluate their thoughts or their actions. Simply be responsible for how you think and act. For if you think and act with God you will influence others without saying a single word."

- Paul Ferrini

Let's keep in touch ...

I write and speak at events as director of Renew Resources. I also am leader and teacher at Bethel Church in Princeton, MN. If you're ever in the area, come join us on a Sunday morning! Places to find my writing:

https://medium.com/@markbrouwer/

http://lastingleaders.com

http://sexualsanity.com

Also follow me on Facebook

The Recovery Journey

Check out my 90 Day program for starting (or renewing) your recovery from sexual addiction / compulsion called "The Recovery Journey". There's also a special program for the partners of addicts.

Other Audio Products:

The Spiritual Issues and Challenges of Recovery

Read my latest book: "Leaving Your Mark Without Losing Your Mind"
This book focuses on the innate need we all have to make a difference with our lives ... and what gets in the way. Building a life of meaning and purpose is essential for long term recovery, but many people get sidelined because of stress, overwhelm, and discouragement. This book will help you find strategies to overcome those challenges (and others).