By: Dan DiFolco
By Dan DiFolco
S.O.S co-founder
As most of you know, I have been journeying through a wonderful book entitled “Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life,” by Marjorie J. Thompson. I have been so moved the entire time, and it has moved me into writing this piece focused on spiritual disciplines.
The word discipline is a word known strongly by the “successful”, but in the world of officiating, it is one trait or habit that you cannot do without. That’s why when Thompson quoted Reuben Jobs definition of spiritual discipline, I couldn’t help but formulate it into referee lingo.
The original goes as such; “Spiritual disciplines are simply ways we position ourselves to see divine beauty and grace more clearly, so we might respond full-heartedly.” For some, it already makes sense why this triggered the correlation into officiating, but what I wanted to do was sharpen the focus of the definition into our own lingo into something like this: “Spiritual Disciplines are ways we POSITION ADJUST to open ourselves up to see the plays of divine beauty and grace, so we might REACT TIMELY and ACCURATELY in full-heartedness.”
So there are three question we must ask: 1) Are we position-adjusting correctly in our lives to see the open looks of God’s beauty and grace? 2) Are we reacting in a timely and accurate manner to God’s opportunities? 3) Are our reactions out of the overflow of a full heart?
I really like the illustration of equilateral triangles as it symbolizes perfect balance. As followers of Jesus, we continually seek this balance the best we can. As we balance ourselves, we move closer into position which opens ourselves up fully to God’s beauty and grace, then allowing us to be prepared to serve when and where He calls us. So if you asked yourself the 3 questions above, and you found yourself needing to position-adjust because you feel like you are not experiencing all of God, I invite you to meditate on the above triangle.
Essentially this triangle symbolizes how Jesus disciplined his life around 3 relationships: Up, In, and Out. Since we are called to be imitators of Christ, we cannot mistake the importance of orienting our lives to focus on these three relationships. Each relationship is made up of smaller disciplines and habits. I have found it true that at any time one of these 3 disciplines may be weaker than others, which can lead us out of the fullness God invites us to feel. If you look at the triangle and see something that isn’t very present in your life or is the weaker area, then I encourage you to start there. Meditate on the habits of each discipline and see if there is something missing or needs changing. No matter what, it is encouraged to make this triangle a symbol of your life disciplines. If our daily lives consist of the little habits within these 3 big disciplines you will gradually position yourself deeper into the arms of your Heavenly Father. It is there where you’ll realize you are not only closer, but where His love, grace, and mercy are the only things that can sustain you. This is where you were created to be.
IF you have any questions regarding this blog post, or the triangle above please feel free to email us at SportOfficialsSurrendered@outlook.com
*S.O.S blog posts reflects only the opinion of the writer through the experience and testimony from their own journeys of faith through the LIVING God.*
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