Lesson #2 – Our responsibility in spiritual growth

A great deal of frustration arises when we attempt to conform reality to our preconceived desires. The church fathers took a different approach and sought to make their desires and expectations conform to reality. How did they do this? They practiced the spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines connect us with God’s means of grace thereby enabling God’s grace to flow into our lives.

Dallas Willard defined spiritual disciplines as ” . . . activities of mind and body purposefully undertaken, to bring our personality and total being into effective cooperation with the divine order.” The disciplines enable us to cooperate with God’s grace in transforming our inner being, making us more like Christ. They are not legalistic rituals to gain God’s favor, but practices that reshape our character and transform our behavior enabling us experience God’s peace and joy. The spiritual disciplines are not ends in themselves, but rather means to an end – to help us to become more like Jesus.

If we are to excel in anything in life, we find that discipline is required. Every expert was once a novice, but as we train ourselves for godliness we discover there is a great reward. The Apostle Paul gave this advice to Timothy:

But stay away from worthless stories that are typical of old women. Rather, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily training is just slightly beneficial, but godliness is beneficial for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:7-8)

Spiritual disciplines enable us to do that which we have not been able through our own effort. We discover that trying is not sufficient, we must train ourselves for the purpose of godliness. Too many people have uphill desires, but downhill habits. A life of freedom is available, but it’s not automatic. As Henry Ford observed, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

There is no set number of spiritual disciplines, any activity that helps us grow closer to God may be considered a spiritual discipline. We grow in the grace of our Lord as we practice the spiritual disciplines. Here are some common disciplines that have been helpful to Christ-followers over the centuries.

Prayer: Communion with God including listening and communicating with God.

Solitude: Refraining from interacting with others so we can be alone with God.

Silence: Quieting our minds to attend to God’s presence.

Fasting: Going without food (or other things) for a period of prayer. (The fast may be partial or complete.)

Personal Reflection: Paying attention to our inner self (this may include journaling).

Bible Engagement: This includes hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating upon God’s Word.

Worship: Praising God for who He is and what He’s done. (We can worship God privately or in community.)

Fellowship: Making time to come alongside others in edifying relationships.

Service: Serving God by giving of our time, treasure, and talents.

Witness: Sharing the good news of Jesus with those who do not know Him.

We must practice the spiritual disciplines because we do not drift into Christlikeness. Our training is connecting us with a power much greater than our own — the Spirit of God that raised Jesus Christ from the dead! We practice the disciplines to develop new and healthy habits. This is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he spoke of “putting off the old self” and “putting on the new self”.

These ancient spiritual practices enable us to bridge the gap between our human experience and the divine spiritual reality leading to a life in harmony with the divine order. If the spiritual disciplines are new to you, then they may seem difficult at first, they may be messy in the middle, but they are beautiful at the end. The writer of the book of Hebrews described this truth:

For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (Hebrews 12:11)

Which spiritual discipline will you put into practice today?