Chambers, a minister who served in the first world war, wrote the most popular daily devotional of modern spirituality. Compiling a series of short sermons for students and soldiers, his book has stood the test of time for nearly a hundred years.
As an author, all of my own daily devotional books have, in some way, been informed by his book.
One theme that recurs in multiple entries is that of discipline. Oswald writes:
There are unemployables in the spiritual domain who refuse to do anything unless they supernaturally inspired. But you must never make our moments of inspiration your standard, because your standard is our duty. Take the initiative where you are, not where you are not. Instead of finding a pinnacle to cling to, find a great table land where it is easy to move. Get back into a little fire of your own and kindle enthusiasm at it. Do the duty that lies nearest. And learn not to make a fetish of your rare moments.
His practice of discipline speaks to the human genetic propensity to seek external solutions for all things. Not only in the practice of spirituality, but also in the realm of creativity.
Because we over depend on inspiration to fuel our projects. We demand that inspiration, this magical creative manservant, work round the clock at our beck and call to provide us with the expressive spark.
But the danger with this expectation is, it puts us at the mercy of external forces like mood, energy and motivation. Which is a surefire recipe for procrastination.
Just ask any professional artist. If they only created when they felt like it, they’d be out of the job.
It’s not a fetish, it’s a discipline. The fire is kindled from within.
And so, learn to weaken your ties to external solutions. Learn to provoke inspiration from within instead of just waiting passively for it to come along and land gracefully on your shoulder.
Do the duty that lies nearest.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you making a fetish of your rare moments?
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Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.
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