“Thy will be done” these four words capture something primitive. They do not contain the Majestic anthem of our Lord “Holy, Holy, Holy”, nor do they contain the command of peace and stillness “Be still and know that I am God”, they even do not hint at the wondrous mystery of “I Am”, and yet despite all these things “Thy will be done” is something that excites our souls and puts fire in our bellies.
These four words were uttered by Christ in the Garden before his betrayal and passion. These four words capture the very essence of Piety’s purpose. Piety is the very core of what it means to seek the will of God in all things it is a humbled heart before the throne of God that seeks to submit itself before the will of Adonai. I’ve discussed Piety on the blog several times but this one is special to me. It focuses on this notion of Piety which is guided by purpose. It is not blind submission, it is the Piety that is produced by serious discipleship. It is the Piety discussed as Godliness in the scriptures.
What motivates Piety? What causes one to desire a Pious life? What exactly does it look like to pursue Piety? These are all questions I’ve had to wrestle through and still wrestle with daily. At the most fundamental level, I’ve found that the motivation for Piety really and truly is the Great Commission as it is recorded in Matthew 28: 16-20. The desire for a Pious life is synonymous with a desire to grow up into maturity in the faith, the process for this growth is outlined, regarding our part, in 2 Peter 1:5-7, and having grown in some capacity calling others toward maturity as well. What is the practical side of pursuing Piety? Leaning on the ponderings offered in this previous post I would like to move forward and suggest the following steps for a practical pursuit of Piety.
- An honest assessment of one’s current level of obedience and trust to and in the will of Abba, our Father.
- Prayerfully Discern purpose
- See Daniel Henderson’s “The Deeper Life” [For those who have been walking with the Lord for a while]
- See Ministry in the Marketplace’s “Establishing Your Purpose” [For those who have only just begun to seriously walk with their creator]
- Examine how God has gifted you and start serving your community accordingly
- This may require a period of learning from those already serving in such capacities
- Answer the following questions:
- Where has God been sanctifying you recently?
- In what ways can you be growing a servant’s heart?
- See this post
- What areas of your life are the most outside of God’s control?
- What about Piety scares you?
- Do all of these things, and in time, with much prayer and faithful practice, you will find yourself pursuing Piety because the Holy Spirit has changed your heart.
In Step With God 