Spiritual Disciplines
b b b b b b b b Donald S. Whitney wrote Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life to
explain the practical side of living a life with Christ.[1] Through eleven different
areas of spiritual living, Whitney provides a practical and easy to understand
guide on creating and maintaining an intentional relationship with Christ. b His goal
is to provide the Christian with the tools and knowledge necessary to grow in
their relationship with Christ through practice, discipline, and purpose. b This is
highlighted in his illustration between Kevin and the Angel in Chapter 1. b The
angel told Kevin that you cannot get better at something (in his case, the guitar)
without disciplined practice.[2] b The underlying theme in his book is “…for the
purpose of Godliness.” b This theme is echoed in each chapter as Whitney
explained how disciplined practice in each spiritual discipline allows us to be
better in our relationship with the Lord.
b b b b b b b b b I felt the Whitney did an amazing job walking through each of the major
spiritual disciplines and how they are important in our lives. Each chapter
provided biblical support to the spiritual discipline, a commonsense style of
explaining the spiritual discipline, and applications and commentary on how to
implement and grow the spiritual discipline in your life. b I agree with Whitney that
understanding and implementing these disciplines are both necessary in growing
a strong relationship with the Lord and are biblically supported. b He noted,” the
Spiritual Disciplines found in the Scripture are sufficient for knowing and
experiencing God, and for growing in Christlikeness.”[3] b I think this is really
important as there are so many opinions these days on what can bring a person
closer to Christ, however, it’s only the Scriptures that truly tell us what we can do
to have and grow a relationship with the Lord.
b b b b b b b b b b Having read this book previously, rereading it gave me a chance to
appreciate Whitney’s book more than I did the first time. b I cannot say I found an
area I disagreed with in his text. Rather, I found that I better understood his work
this time around and agreed with his positions more now than I did when I read
his work in my undergrad. b As I went through his book, I kept in mind this post,
and identified the three disciplines that I could further grow on. b Those are
fasting, silence and solitude, and journaling.
b b b b b b b b b b The first spiritual discipline I need to strengthen is fasting. b I am horrible
at it, undisciplined at it, and cannot remember a fast that I completed one
hundred percent faithfully. b I am not afraid to admit this, but I feel guilty about it. b
Whitney noted that fasting is a voluntary abstinence from for spiritual
purposes.[4] b I have participated in congregational fasts, and have attempted
private fasts, and I have failed at both. b The last time I attempted and failed to
fast was the end of last summer. b I was fasting red meat as part of a
congregational fast during a period of discernment. b About halfway through the
fast, my crew at the firehouse was grilling for the third or fourth time during the
fast and I gave in and broke the fast to join my crew. b My problem is that of
personal gluttony. b I like food, and that gets the better of me. b This is something I
have struggled with my whole life. b Food has always been a constant in my life,
and a comfort in some cases, and I have allowed that to skew my obedience
during fasting. b I know the only way to fix this is to be more intentional and have
someone help me stay accountable, but I actually have to do it.
b b b b b b b b b b The second spiritual discipline I need to strengthen is silence and
solitude. b Whitney explained that they are a pair that go hand in hand as voluntary
disciplines to allow you focus your mind on God and be alone with him.[5] b At
first pass, I can say, “yeah, I do that.” b Every morning I take the first hour of my
day and spend time with coffee and the Word. b Its just me, my coffee pot, my
Bible and Him. b This has proven effective in given me time in silence and solitude
to grow closer to Him and have conversational prayer with Him. b b Whitney noted
that this is a struggle for many because of business and the enemy’s constant
attempt to distract us.[6] This is where I need to improve. b During COVID, due to
my full-time career as a firefighter paramedic, my stress level has gone through
the roof, I am working more than ever, and I struggle to get back to daily silence
and solitude. b What was a daily occurrence, even on shift, has become a two to
three day at best activity. b When I am at the firehouse, we are too busy for me to
try to fit in quiet time. b On the mornings I am getting ready to go to the firehouse,
I am so stressed knowing what I am going into that I cannot focus on my quiet
time. b On my off days, if I am not too tired to get up early enough, I am able to
have my quiet time with Him, but I have found that I feel that my time in not
nearly as connected to Him as it used to be. b I don’t know how to fix this as I do
not see my current situation changing soon.
b b b b b b b b b b The third spiritual discipline I need to strengthen is journaling. b Whitney
notes that journaling is a way to account for God’s work in your life, and your
growth in Him.[7] b Some of the Scriptures have their basis in journaling.[8] I love
Whitney’s commentary on this when he noted, “Jesus did not live and die for
sinners to turn us into journal-keepers.”[9] b I find solace in that statement. My
wife will write a full journal a month. b When I say a full journal, I mean that she
will fill approximately 90 to 100 pages of her thoughts, prayers, and reflections
into a diary like book every month. b She has years of little pocket-sized diaries in
boxes of the last several years of her journey in Christ. b That is not me. b I
maintain three books. b They are the same three composition books that have
been going for several years. b One is my prayer book. b This is my prayers, prayer
requests, and prayers answered. b The second is my theological thoughts. b This
one is a composition of my thoughts outside of my academic documents. b The
final one is my bible study journal. b I will write a verse in it that jumps out to me
and what that verse says to me at that point in time. b The reason I feel I need to
grow more here is based on intentionality and consistency. b I have a habit of
using post-it notes, steno-pads, legal pads, and margins of my Bible to capture
the thoughts that I should be putting in these books, and when I remember to
copy them over, I can’t remember the whole illumination that was provided to me
at the time of the note. b I have one post-it note that I keep in my prayer book that
just says “pray for…” but instead of “…” it’s a scribble of someone’s name. b I was
in a hurry, and someone asked me to pray for them, and to this day I can’t
remember who or for what. b I keep that as a reminder to be more intentional, but
I still do not do as good of a job as I really need to.
Bibliography
Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Colorado Springs, CO:
NavPress, 2014. Reprint, 2017. Originally published as 1991.
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[1] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs,
CO: NavPress, 2014; repr., 2017).
[2] Ibid., 2.
[3] Ibid., 7.
[4] Ibid., 192.
[5] Ibid., 224-225.
[6] Ibid., 239.
[7] Ibid., 250.
[8] Ibid., 250.
[9] Ibid., 251.
