Four things I’ve learned at Training Camp

My heart longs to be able to pass along to all of my readers the amazing lessons and teaching I have been blessed to receive while I have been here. As I finish up my last week of training I wanted to try to put into words just a small taste of some of the things I have learned while here.

We worship because God is good, not when he makes us feel good. 

Worship is not something you do when you are feeling good or on a spiritual high. Worship is something to do with every emotion all the time, even our breath is worship. If I am having a bad day you will always find me dancing during worship because His goodness is not dependent on my struggles, suffering, or circumstances. In the Psalms of David, it is seen time and time again, in his grieving or in times of waiting David still knows God is worthy of praise. 

Truth cannot be relative in a functioning society. 

If truth is truth only to the person holding it and there are no basic moral standards, then wrong will never be punished and justice/change will never take place. Moral relativism is unlivable. The statement that truth is relative is self-refuting (a claim that is refuted by itself). You can’t make an objective claim that truth is relative and say that applies to everyone. If truth is relative, is that true for you or true for me? True tolerance doesn’t require agreement; rather, it commands honest and civil disagreement. One has to disagree before true tolerance can take place, you can’t disagree in a society with relative truth. If you are asking why truth is important I would have to ask you, do you want the true of the false answer? That question is why truth is important.

Shame vs. guilt:

Shame is always from the enemy. Conviction and guilt are gifts from the Holy Spirit. I have lived my life knowing that they were different, but not understanding how that plays out in my life. I now know that shame condemns but the voice of God when convicting is gentle. It is encouraging.

“I will not remember your sins.” – Isaiah 43:2 

God does not remember my sins. If I am ever reminded of something I have already repented of that is not of the Lord, he has chosen to forget! Shame is confusing and condemning, it leads us to bondage. Guilt says ‘I have done something wrong, shame says ‘There is something wrong with me’. Guilt pushes you to be a better person while shame makes you want to hide. I am realizing that my inner critic is the voice of shame from the enemy. I have started to ask myself “is this voice loving, encouraging and forgiving, or is it confusing, demeaning, and hopeless?”.

Living in abandonment creates a softened heart.

I have had to change the way I live my life here in a lot of ways. Things I didn’t used to think twice about such as clean laundry, a pantry, a mattress, and a closet with a variety of clothing, I view much differently now. Living in this kind of abandonment has taught me so many things. I actually can be quite comfortable and content with a home the size of a tent. Living here has actually been one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve learned how to hand wash my clothes, demold belongings, waterproof tents and brush my teeth in the forest. I am learning that I have to choose to embrace these things, and having a good attitude about living in abandonment allows fruit to grow.