11 November 2010 (Chamashee/Teruah)
Day #240, 5934 AM
First Class Discipleship
Showing Excellence for Christ
"Blessed is the man who is always reverent" (Prov.28:14, ISRV).
We often speak of walls between people as negative but some walls are absolutely mandatory. Thus speaking of a single woman, it is the family's duty to build a wall around her until she is betrothed:
"If she is a wall, we will build upon her a battlement of silver; if she is a door, we will enclose her with the cedar" (Song.8:9, ISRV).
A woman who has enough walls of self-control to stay out of immorality is worthy of much honour. If she has let down her walls to indiscretion, she is forced to live in disgrace. Thus if a young girl has been loved by her parents and disciplined while growing up, she will have the wholesome spiritual strength to say 'No!' to the sexual and romantic accostings of young men:
"Whosoever has no rule over his spirit is like a city broken down without walls" (Prov.25:28, ISRV).
Torah builds walls, and rightly so, giving the lie to our permissive free-for-all secular mentality. Thus we are to bring "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor.10:5, ISRV). Meekness is a type of self-control, as was Moses (Num.12:3) and was the secret of his ability to govern others. The limitation of outward governance is always determined by the degree of inward self-control. The enemy constantly seeks to undermine our self-control. Leadership - whether as mother, father, pastor, or boss - is guidance; one cannot guide others if he has lost his personal bearings. Self-control in a leader communicates stability, security and safety to those who are being led. But an explosive temper, for example, destroys all of these in an instant.
The exercise of self-discipleship also leads to excellence and is part and parcel of every true believer's vocabulary. We are not called by Yahweh to do a second-rate job in anything, because 'anything worth doing is worth doing well'. Since we are the workmanship of Yahweh, everything we do should reflect a workmanship of excellence. One led by the Ruach (Spirit) is always motivated to do everything in a first-class manner. One excellent example is Daniel - everything he did was ten times better that all the unbelievers around him (Dan.2:20). That is our standard.
Excellence touches every aspect of our lives - homeschooling, music, manner of dress, use of good grammar and vocabulary, posture and demeanour, the upkeep of gardens and houses, clarity of thinking, marital relations, courtesy in driving, business records, work for our employer, ability to handle stress, promptness, cheerfulness, and so on:
"So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light" (Luke 16:8, NKJV).
Everything we do should reflect the noble class we belong to, the character required of sons and daughters of Yahweh. We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor.5:20)...or should be.
(From the Diary of Lev-Tsiyon, 15 October 2003, England)
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