Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live… at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin’ to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take… OUR FREEDOM! — Mel Gibson as William Wallace in Braveheart

Guessing you have seen Braveheart, where Mel Gibson’s character, William Wallace, fights for his country’s freedom from English rule around the end of the 13th century. As with any good Hollywood flick, the underdog beats great odds and overcomes an insurmountable challenge. Although vastly outnumbered, Wallace and his clan crush the English. How? My theory: Wallace was fighting in obedience, passion and conviction to a cause, while the enemy he faced was following orders and executing someone else’s prescription and priority.  Obedience vs. discipline. Heart vs. head. Passion vs. precision.

Growing up I was taught there were certain things you needed to commit to and be disciplined about if you are going to develop a close relationship with God. Pray regularly. Read your bible daily. Attend church at least once a week. Things like that. All well and good, but in the end, it creates a “to do” list if you heart isn’t in it. I’ve been reading my Bible lately, more consistently than I ever remember doing so. The reason is that I am actively pursuing what insight God has waiting for me. I’m passionate about a greater understanding. I have tried to start reading my Bible daily 100 times before and never made it past a week. This time it is different, because my approach is different. It isn’t about discipline. It’s about obedience.  Discipline becomes necessary if that is your starting point, but if you are obedient, then discipline is a natural progression. Discipline starts with the mind. Obedience from the heart. Discipline produces routine. Obedience produces passion.

I realized a while back that God wasn’t as interested in my talent and how I might use it as he was in my heart. Same goes for my head. Too often, we mistake “following orders” for being obedient. When we do that, we’re basically handing our head over to God. That’s not exactly what he wants from us.  How many times throughout history does God reprimand those who follow the letter of the law but miss out on the spirit of it? Who appear to be religious titans, but are far away from a true relationship with God.

It’s the difference in approaching a prospect you want to do business with, versus a friend with whom you want to connect more deeply. To make the sale, there is a list of things you need to accomplish, a process you can follow, to increase your chances of completing the transaction. You plan out a schedule of phone calls and emails, with a specific end point in mind, a specific exchange. You don’t act that way when you are trying to strengthen a relationship with a friend. There is no set process, no task list. You start by listening more acutely to the other person, by responding to their needs, by meeting them where they are. You don’t schedule three follow-up calls and an email campaign in your calendar (well, most of us don’t anyway. birthday reminders and such are okay, but a full-blown campaign is a little creepy). You aren’t angling for a specific exchange. Your end point is being driven by the heart, not the mind.

I’m sure there is something to be said of discipline, or committing to something you know is right even when you don’t want to do it deep down. But in my experience, without a genuine urge to get closer to God, you aren’t even going to get in the right zip code. No matter how much discipline you have.

As you know, I’m working my way through Isaiah. More to come on that from chapters 16-30. But I wanted to share this post first. Mostly because 10 minutes after I had scribbled down some notes on the topic of obedience vs. discipline, I read the following passages. Wasn’t looking for them. Just so happened these chapters were next up in my reading. Another way that God confirmed my head, and my heart, are headed toward the right place.

28:10 – For it is: do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule, a little here, a little there. God will speak to his people to who he said, “this is the resting place, let the weary rest. This is the place of repose.” But they would not listen. So then, the word of the Lord to them will become: do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule, a little here, a little there so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured.

and then…

29:8 – as when a hungry man dreams his is eating, but he awakens, and his hunger remains; as when a thirsty man dreams that he is drinking, but he awakens faint, with his thirst unquenched.

With that, I would encourage you to scrap your routine, to just stop right now whatever you are doing. And start over. Start with simply being open and obedient and seeing where God points you.  And then, introduce discipline to the equation. God isn’t a bank account, where you just work and work and save and save until one day you have enough to withdraw exactly what you need. This is a relationship, not a transaction.

Going through the motions doesn’t create much momentum. God speaks through the heart, not the head. So, throw on some war paint and a kilt (if you have one), get a crazy look in your eyes and charge toward what God has for you. Don’t follow someone else’s prescription.  God has a specific plan for you, and for me. And it’s much more powerful than any routine.