You note Whitney's purpose of the spiritual disciplines and how it helps a believer
to become more like Christ. Dave Earley explains how this transformation takes
place. He writes, "Spiritual formation is the process of transformation that occurs
as a believer becomes more and more like Jesus. Spiritual formation is not
merely doing spiritual disciplines. It is not merely about reading more chapters of
the Bible or keeping a better spiritual journal. Those are merely means of helping
us gaze into the face of Jesus so we may be transformed to think, act, feel, and
look more like him."1
I liken Scripture memorization to an ancient soldier sharpening his sword in
preparation for battle. Whitney even states, "A pertinent scriptural truth, brought to
your awareness by the Holy Spirit at just the right moment, can be the weapon
that makes the difference in battle."2 When I began to read this section of
Whitney's book, I immediately thought of Jesus' temptation in the desert. Jesus
recalled and used Deut. 6:13, 16; 8:3 against Satan's temptations. The apostle
Paul appealed to the readers of Romans 12:1-2 to consecrate their mind and
body. While this verse is applicable to all spiritual disciplines, I found it very
befitting to Scripture memorization.
You mention that you need to enhance your meditation during your daily activities.
Have you thought about during the time of solitude? Whitney explains that
"Solitude is the Spiritual Discipline of voluntarily and temporarily withdrawing to
privacy for spiritual purposes...solitude may be sought in order to participate
without interruption in other Spiritual Disciplines, or just to be alone with God and
think."3 The hustle and bustle of everyday life have the tendency to drown out the
faintest divine whisper. a I find it to be a refreshing exercise to be able to get away
from everyone and everything to focus solely on God.
Dave Earley writes, "A journal is a safe and sacred place to record your deepest or
most mundane thoughts, feelings, fears, dreams, ideas, questions, and emotions.
A journal is a record of the works and ways of God in your life. It can include daily
events and your reflections about them, insights into Scripture, prayer requests,
meaningful quotes, and your personal growth plan. Keeping a journal is a way to
practice meditation, contemplation, and meaningful reflection. It is a means of
organizing and understanding your spiritual journey."4 I had mentioned in my
thread that I had watched a movie called
War Room
(2015). For me, while doing
this discussion assignment, it was a nearly perfect example of journaling. The
crux of the movie is about a Christian woman who converted space into a prayer
war room. She would write down prayer requests, the date the request was given
to God, the date when the prayer was answered, and so on. Additional aspects of
her daily practice were prayer, solitude, love, and devotion.
I thought it was important when you mentioned that our spiritual disciplines will
help in our transformation, which in turn will bring honor to Christ. One of things
that I think is important is that all the disciplines that Whitney mentions are
disciplines that Jesus Himself practiced. This helps the reader understand this
isn’t a list of to-do practices, but things that Jesus Himself did and as His
followers it is practices, we should strive to imitate.
You mentioned meditation as one of your disciplines to work on. One of mine was
silence and solitude. As a pastor I find myself being too preoccupied with all the
things on my calendar that I do not make time for silence with God. It is
important in doing this that we find the right place to be alone with God. Whitney
states that we should avoid comfortable places in public such as the park or
mall.[1] For me, anytime I can be alone and outdoors is the best for me to find
silence with God.
I agree that spiritual growth should be an essential component of all Christian
lifestyles. a I am finally starting to understand what it means to be a cultural
Christian rather than an actual one. There are a lot of people who go to church,
perform the perfunctory duties of a Christian, and gladly shout from the rafters
that they are in fact a Christian. In actuality when you study their behavior, it
tends to tell a different story. a This is why it is important to practice spiritual
disciplines. The goal of spiritual growth should be more than talk but rather
action1. Actively working on ourselves as Christians leads us closer to our
Heavenly Father. Failure to work on these disciplines will push us further away
from him and lead us closer to the adversary.
I understand the importance of memorizing scripture. As a child this was
something that I struggled with because my memory was never that great. As I
grow older, I am beginning to remember scriptures a little bit easier. I still
struggle, but not as much as before. It is important to be able to retain scripture
from memory because the Bible is not always accessible. to a degree, I agree
with what Whitney said about memorization. I struggle with memorizing names
and numbers in all aspects of life but it becomes easier when I take the time to
meditate on what I am trying to remember2. Putting forth the extra effort goes a
long way.
a Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, revised and
updated. ed. (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2014), 5
a Ibid., 53
