I like how you started your discussion that by talking about how spiritual disciples
are necessary for the purpose of Godliness. This is an amazing way to start a
discussion and a real attention getter. In the world that we live in I can see a lack
of discipline that consistently and routinely permeates from our culture. a We a
seem to live in a society that wants to call the bad good and the good bad. The
bible talks about this in the last days. The way that we can show the world who
Christ is, will be by living a life of integrity each and everyday. there is no getting
around this. The picture that we much paint to the world and those around us is
that being a Christian is a great way to live. In all areas of our lives we must take
the necessary steps to display the effectiveness of holiness and righteousness.
This a part of God's plan and that is for us to be the salt of the earth. It seems to
me that we disciple ourselves in the stuff that matter the most. Like you said when you
commented on sports. It could be assumed that the reason that we do not do more in
our alone time with God in terms of the Spiritual Disciplines, that God is not important.
Yet, at the same time people seem to love God so they say, more than life itself. We talk
to people in the church and they appear to be dedicated believers and love God greatly.
Then when we ask them if they are going the extra mile to draw closer to him by
becoming more Christ like through Spiritual Disciplines, they say no. It could be because
we never see results soon as we start, it could be a time issue, it could be because they
were not called to full-time ministry, the reasons seem reasonable, but then they are not.
Simply put, it does not take that much effort to change our schedule to spend time with
God an extra hour a day. Go to bed half-hour later, get up half-hour earlier. Fast one item
a week, something that meaningful so God will honor it. Journaling is important to keep
up with what God is doing in our life, and to see when he is moving. We can't remember
all the stuff that goes on from day-to-day because life has so many curve-balls with it.
Prayer, is important because God wants to talk to us one-on-one sometimes, not
corporately every single time we pray. God is a great God who is nice enough not to
expose all our faults to everybody and shame us. We should honor him enough to find
time to fix stuff in our life that he wants to expose in our heats just between the two of
us. We should never stop learning, God gave us a brain that will never max it's learning
ability. Serving is a trait that will increase as we become more like Jesus. Finally,
evangelism, seasoned church members have a hard time witnessing, we can surmise
that new converts are as well. Not to say that a new convert will not because he or she
might have a fire for the Lord that is unstoppable. The seasoned Christians fire might
have died down and just needs rekindling. Either way, we need Spiritual Disciplines to
grow. I think having an understanding of disciplines and their importance comes
easier to those who utilize disciplines in other aspects of life, especially in
competitive settings. For example, in the world of athletics, the championship
usually goes to those who work the hardest. Not necessarily the people who have
the most talent find themselves in the winning circle, but rather those who focus
and sacrifice. I think most people at the current Olympics would agree, their
presence on the world stage means absolutely nothing if they are not able to
hone their disciplines. a
I personally do not believe this is any different from Christianity. We may not be in
a competition, but we are at war. We should constantly look to sharpen our
swords and never allow ourselves to get lackadaisical. As Paul stated, we should
press towards the mark of a higher calling. The beautiful thing about Christianity
is, we all have room to grow. If we do not allow ourselves to be complacent, we
will become better Christians in time. Just as you stated, it is important that we
all take time to isolate ourselves from the world to connect with God. This will
silence the noise of the world and allow us to hear God's voice more clearly.
I too struggle with journaling. It is not something most men typically do unless
they are into writing. Since I am not the biggest fan of writing things down, I tend
to avoid it. This is something I need to correct because it is a discipline that can
potentially ease the burden of life1.
I'm glad to know you see the value of the spiritual disciplines. You note the value of
journaling and how you need to improve. The same is true for me. I have journaled in
the past and it was extremely beneficial. The challenge is finding the time to do it. I am
never satisfied with listing a note or two as I typically want to write a page per day.
Hopefully, I will incorporate it again in the near future, because there is tremendous
benefit to it.
Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Colorado Springs.
NavPress Publishing Group, 2014. Accessed May 30, 2021. a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a
ProQuest Ebook Central.
