Monday, March 9, 2009

I AM, I CAN, I OUGHT, I WILL. . . My Faith

This simple sentence was coined by education specialist Charlotte Mason in the 19th century. It is at the core of the Charlotte Mason method of education; a phrase that every child being taught by this method memorizes and uses as a tool for living a disciplined life. I recently witnessed someone use this sentence to help them sort through their own thoughts and make some personal decisions and commitments, and I thought I'd try to use it in my own life as I try to organize my thoughts and figure out priorities. Below is what I came up with regarding my faith and relationship with God.

I AM ~
A child of God, saved by grace through the blood of Christ, and filled with the Spirit of God. Created in the image of God, by the hand of God, to be used as an instrument of God for His will.

I CAN ~
Talk to God throughout the day, in the midst of all my comings, goings, and doings. Give myself as God as a living sacrifice, doing *everything* for Him rather than for men. Listen to praise and worship music during those most difficult times of the day (ie. dinner prep time).

I OUGHT ~
To set aside some time each day to read my Bible and pray. To be actively involved in a community of believers.

I WILL ~
  1. Pray my way through each day. Talking to God when I wake, as I feed kids and change diapers, as I cook and clean. . .
  2. Do *everything* to the glory of God.
  3. Have a quiet time with God every afternoon -- reading my Bible and praying.
  4. Play praise and worship music while I prepare dinner in the late afternoon/evening.
  5. Go to smallgroup and be as involved as I possibly can, being sure to stay in contact with people throughout the week.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of playing p&w at the dinner prep hour - they don't call it the "witching hour" for nothing!