Author Donald Whitney in his book ‘Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian
Life’ has guided his readers through a diverse array of disciplines,
including worship, prayer, evangelism, serving, learning, scripture
meditation, and silence and solitude. Each of the disciplines that the
author has discussed is vital as they can help individuals to grow in terms
of godliness and spirituality[1]. The main argument presented by Whitney
is that believers of Jesus Christ need to cultivate certain spiritual
disciplines in them so that they could become more like Christ by growing
in maturity as well as character. I completely agree with his arguments,
and I believe that individuals must follow certain practices to become
closer to Jesus. For instance, a person could worship, pray, learn or serve s
these disciplines would help him to be with Jesus. These disciplines or
practices would act as the pathway that would help a person to adopt a
biblical way to grow in being more like Christ. The spiritual disciplines that
Whitney has referred to could motivate Christians to rightly feel
encouraged and perform spiritual and biblical disciplines. The verse 1
Timothy 4:7 states, ‘Discipline yourself for the purpose of
godliness.’[2].The author has presented a list of practices that individuals
could partake in to be one with Jesus..
The three spiritual disciplines that I need to strengthen are serving,
stewardship of time and money, and learning. In hectic times, it is very
easy to focus on one’s self-interest instead of focusing on the needs of
others. I intend to strengthen my spiritual discipline relating to serving
others so that I could be of help and assistance to fellow Christians.
Another important spiritual discipline that I want to strengthen relates to
stewardship of time and money. It is very easy for people to ignore the
value of time and money. I do not want to be one of the individuals who
do not value his money and time. On the contrary, I want to be someone
who is capable of managing and valuing the time and money that God has
given me. It is quite easy to get carried away in life and take everything
for granted. I intend to strengthen my stewardship of time and money.
The final spiritual discipline that I wish to strengthen revolves around
learning. I want to constantly grow and learn as an individual. Only by
constantly learning I can make the most of the opportunities in life and
serve Christianity.
I plan to implement the three spiritual disciplines by adopting diverse
approaches. I plan to strengthen my ability to serve by taking part in
voluntary activities in the community setting. I plan to enhance my
spiritual discipline relating to stewardship of time and money by
maintaining a schedule to manage my time and other resources
efficiently. Ultimately, I plan to implement the ‘learning’ spiritual discipline
by interacting with diverse members of the community church on a
regular basis. By implementing these spiritual disciplines in my life, I could
become closer to Jesus Christ.
.
[1].Whitney, Donald, and Rita Platt. "Spiritual Disciplines For The Christian
Life". Goodreads.Com, Last modified 2021.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213368.Spiritual_Disciplines_for_t
he_Christian_Life.
[2]."Bible Gateway Passage: 1 Timothy 4:7-8 - New American Standard
Bible", Bible Gateway, Last modified 2021,
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy
%204%3A7-8&version=NASB.
.
Bibliography
"Bible Gateway Passage: 1 Timothy 4:7-8 - New American Standard Bible",
Bible Gateway, Last modified 2021,
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy
%204%3A7-8&version=NASB.
Whitney, Donald, and Rita Platt. "Spiritual Disciplines For The Christian
Life". Goodreads.Com, Last modified 2021.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213368.Spiritual_Disciplines_for_t
he_Christian_Life.
