Spiritual Disciplines Paper Assignment
Emmanuel J. Augustine
CLED 365: The Personal Development of the Leader
February 2024
Introduction
Discipline is something a lot of want or would desire to have. We have goals we want to
achieve, people we want to be strong for, and more things we want to do in life. But sometimes
we are our own worst enemy and we get in the way of our plans, maybe due to distraction,
personal weaknesses, or struggles. “Busy people find it hard to learn how to listen to God.”1 It’s
important to understand that there’s a clear difference between motivation and discipline. We are
motivated to pray when we want and/or need something or possibly motivated to go to the gym
so we can look good in our summer swimsuits. For the Christian leader discipline is actions
relative to God desires, for us and his people, whether we want to or not and whether we’re
motivated or not. Some of the spiritual disciplines are Intellect, Meditation and Prayer. A focus
will be brought to (1) disciplines and how they can be applied to an individual.
Meditation
We will center on the discipline of Meditation. A layman knows what meditation is and
maybe some idea what it looks like. But how do we articulate meditation in a biblical sense
versus what’s interpreted by other religious beliefs? First, it would help to describe meditation as
“the act of meditation is like tuning the spirit to heavenly frequencies.”2 To fully grasp the
importance of separating ourselves from distraction(s) we need not look any further than Christ,
who continually removed himself from others, to be alone with God. However, there’s a caveat
“meditation of course, can be done only when we have chosen an environment where there will
1 Gordon MacDonald, “Ordering Your Private World”, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 2007)
137.
2 Ibid, 149.
be adequate moments of time, silence and in privacy.”3 As Christians, we must be intentional
about living deliberately and with a sense of purpose “the discipline of the spirit depends upon
the willingness of the men and women of Christ to seek solitude in silence and to listen for the
whisper of God”.4
It now seems so long ago but there was a period when we read books, kids colored in
coloring books, or stayed outside til nightfall. We now have devices both big and small to
capture and compete for our attention. Add to that work/job requirements that linger after
stopping time. The pre planning for important dates (birthday, anniversary, ministries) coming
up. Then of course the kids and their sports and the latest drama happening each day. Given all
this, consider how arrogant it is to say, “I’m too busy” or “I don’t have time”. Matthew 6:6 states
“but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.”
If Christ, who was busy saving the whole world can find time, then surely, we can. God's voice
must be heard once this environment has been established and secured. It should be an
environment that is not compromised by time, since there will be moments of meditation where
you are waiting on the Lord. We must remember that patience is also necessary when we seek
the Lord. MacDonald says “God speaks; we listen, and the message is entered within our heart.
The need for other props is lessened; the inner garden is further cultivated.”5
The purpose of Christian mediation is to reinforce God's Word in the hearts of believers
so that they remember and live it. In both the Old and New Testaments, Scriptures encourage
spiritual reflection, but with different motivations, applications, and results. Worldly meditation
3 Ibid, 147.
4 Ibid, 147.
5 Ibid, 149.
focuses on emptying your mind, while spiritual meditation focuses on filling your mind. Psalm
1:2 “they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.”
Self-Assessment
For myself I was never far from church. I am fortunate to have a Godly mother who got
me into the routine of Sunday school, mid-week bible study, choir practice and youth groups. As
I got older, I experienced life like everyone else, having ups and downs, triumphs, and
adversities. However, there was one conversation that I had with my mother about Christ that
I’ve never forgot. She told me about a powerful prayer that she had sense her youth, which went
“I want to walk like Christ, talk like Christ, love like Christ any more than anything, TRUST in
Christ.” I left home on a football scholarship and moved over 2,000 miles away from home. My
mother like any other, not knowing exactly the trials to come, just knew that I would falter, but
also knew that I would get back up. Now as I man I can recognize that during this conversation
so many years ago, the vulnerability of my mother and how she allowed herself to be used by
God.
From this became my personal meditation. I don’t believe the bible meant a physical
room, with carpeted floors and a locked door. My room is the car, a table at Panera Bread, a
restroom stall, and my garage. It’s me and the Lord, and it’s wherever I’m at, available whenever
I want. I meditate to trust in his faithfulness when life punches me in the stomach. I meditate to
thank him whenever my kids experience joy. I meditate to trust in his divine plan and the
outcome of my life. Remembering each moment of meditation, my mother’s word(s) or more
specifically the word TRUST, I acknowledge the power of the Lord and let him know that I trust
him.
Personal Improvement Plan
In the military we have a concept of Prioritize and Execute. Right now, in my office
there’s a huge whiteboard. On that whiteboard in dry erased marker, I have the major task that
needs to be accomplished the following day. Underneath the major task, I organize all the sub-
tasks by priority, with the most important first then so on and so forth. The whiteboard doesn’t
explain how or at what time to perform the taskings, but it is implied to myself and the
subordinates that if I want to go home at a decent time, I need to get working now. My wife and I
have similarly developed a whiteboard for the household, with all the following day’s
appointments and practice schedules. Personally, I have developed an action plan for myself
which usually consists of prayer in the morning, then a workout and meal preparation. I would
like to add meditation to my daily schedule meditation, separate from prayer. To hold myself
accountable I will add a symbol to my family’s whiteboard and the whiteboard at work, that’s
known only to me. I will know if I’ve done meditation for the day, if not whenever I see the
symbol, I can stop right there and then and meditate.
Conclusion
Having discipline drives you to action, whether you want to or not. Discipline takes no
regard to the time of year, weather outside, emotions inside or your surroundings. Christ wants
us “draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8 NIV). Having the spiritual
discipline of meditation allows that to happen. But true discipline is self-enforced. Anything else
is just a form of motivation. A Christian leader must be disciplined, allowing others to see your
actions as they to impose self-discipline.
Bibliography
MacDonald, Gordon. “Ordering Your Private World”. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 2007.
