Will You Read “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life” With Me?

“Discipline without direction,” Donald Whitney said, “is drudgery.” 

All the times I set out to instill greater discipline in my life, ‘just because’, I failed. It didn’t take and many times served to not only to frustrate but to hinder the growth I needed. Doing things ‘just because you should’ or ‘because everyone else does’ or even ‘because it’s what your hero does’, isn’t necessarily a good enough reason. You must have a deep driving purpose that carries you through. Being disciplined is a wonderful thing, but for it to serve its intended purpose in our lives we must give something to push us towards. It must have direction. 

I have found this to be especially true in the Christian life. Engaging in the Spiritual Disciplines without giving thought to their purpose robs them of their life giving power. For years I’d read my bible, pray occasionally, and attend church on weekends, thinking that engaging in those activities alone was enough. One day that all changed. I became obsessed with growing in Christlikeness. I saw in Romans 8 the Lord’s promise to work in all circumstances and events to shape and mold my character into that of Christ. “God’s eternal plan,” Whitney says, “ensures that every Christian will ultimately conform to Christlikeness.” With that promise as the goal of my Christian life Bible reading, prayer and Sunday worship took on a whole new life. They became the tools The Spirit would use to conform me into the image of Christ. The end breathed life into the means. 

I ran with the what seemed the wind at my back for years. I’d dove into Scripture, memorized verses, and prayed with a fresh energy and desire to know my Lord more deeply. What I didn’t realize was that I was neglecting many of the other tools God has given me, namely the other Spiritual Disciplines. I was nailing Bible intake, but dropping the ball on evangelism, meditation, solitude, and fasting. While Scripture reading is the discipline on which all others hang, I needed to tap into these other means the Lord had given me for my good. 

Whitney says,“God uses three things to change us: 1.) people, 2.) circumstances, and 3.) the Spiritual Disciplines. People and circumstances work from the outside in, while the disciplines work from the inside out.” We only have control over one of those three, namely the Spiritual Disciplines. The other two just happen to us without warning and without permission. 

Spiritual Disciplines are things we do, however. They don’t happen on their own, they require great effort on our part. Which is why so few even try. Barna Research Group reported a survey that showed only 18 percent of “born again Christians” read the Bible every day. That’s a heartbreaking and sad statistic. It stopped me dead in my tracks when I first encountered it. 

“Holiness is not an option for those who claim to be children of the Holy One,” Whitney said, “so neither are the means of holiness. (see 1 Peter 1:15-16)” I’ve already mentioned a few of the means, but in short we call them the Spiritual Disciplines. “Spiritual disciplines,” Whitney said, “are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers.” They are how we place ourselves in the path of God’s grace and seek Him. 

In short, Spiritual Disciplines are things you do to cultivate Christlike joy and character. There is an important distinction that needs to be made before wading too much farther into the waters of the disciplines. You must keep it firmly fixed in your mind that the Spiritual Disciplines concern your sanctification, or growth in godliness, not your salvation. The disciplines we discuss are meant to carry you deeper into the truths of the gospel, not to serve as a path to self-salvation. “Focus on the person and work of Jesus in each of the Disciplines.” Whitney said, “Through them, learn from, gaze upon, and enjoy who Jesus is and what He has done. By means of the Spiritual Disciplines, let the truths of the gospel restore your soul.” 

I took part in an eight-week discipleship program earlier this year, in which we read through Donald Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. It was such a great help in my understanding and enjoyment of the Spiritual Disciplines found in Scripture that I’m going to spend the next several weeks discussing them here on the blog.

Here’s how this will work: 

This series will kick off Sunday, August 20th. That Sunday, I’ll publish a post offering some reflections on what Whitney said in chapters 2 & 3. You’ll be able to join in on the discussion—if you’d like—in the comment section below. 

Then, in the week that follows, we will read the next chapter before once again sharing our reflections together. We’ll repeat this pattern until we’ve finished the book. 

If you’d like to read along, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life is readily available. You can find it almost anywhere books are sold. 

I found the best price on Amazon. You can order it here if you’re so inclined. 

Let’s get started

All you need to do is get a copy and read chapters 2 & 3 before August 20th. 
 

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. I earn a small commission should you choose to use them while making your purchase. 

Your Not in Control

You want to be in control. You desire control over your surroundings and over all your outcomes in life so you work hard and put in long hours. Sleepless nights and caffine are the rent you pay and rent is due every day.

Hustling is important. One of the many traits that turns up time after time when studying the successful is that they run at a different pace than everyone else around them. In short, they hustle. No matter the field and no matter the role get after it. 

To acheive your dreams and accomplish your goals, you are going to have to work extremely hard but be careful not to buy the lie that everything rests within your grasp. 

You can't force results. No matter how many hours you put in or how hard you work you can't force success to happen. Many things are beyond your control. You can do everything right and the deal still doesn't go your way and that's okay. As I've said before, the power is in the process.   

You are responsible for the process. You are accoutable for doing your part. Do the things that accompany success. Order your habits, attidudes, and character. Show up early, remain diligent and stay late if you need you, but remember that those things are just part of the process.  

Find rest in your limits. Labor hard and hustle but also rest in the knowldege that results are ultimately outside your control. There is a certain level of peace that comes from knowing that you have given your all. Give your all and lay it all on the line every day and you'll be able to hold your head high whether the results come or not.

Tone

Over the last few weeks I have been having trouble sleeping. When up way past my bed time, I like to pull out my headphones and relisten to sermons and talks as I try to drift off to sleep. Such was the case last night (this morning) as I dialed up Ted Lowe's talk from Watermark's Uncommon Marriage Conference. Ted dropped some solid gold on the topic of tone that has implications far beyone just marriage.

What is tone? In short, tone can be defined as our overall posture and attitude towards others.   

It's rarely discussed, but vitally important. Today I want to help you be mindful of your tone by discussing a few insights from Ted Lowe. 
   
1. It's not really the big things that get us into trouble, it's often the small things. We know this to be true because we tend to fight over some pretty silly things. In those moments the topic isn't the problem, tone is. We bow up. We raise our voice. We shoot back snippy and snide remarks. Knowing tone is more important than the content of our words is a huge advantage. If you want to stand out at work or just in life in general, keep watch over your tone.   

2. Tone is a choice. No matter how upset or hurt we are we still have the ability to control how you respond, you just might often choose to respond unkindly. Recognize that you have the ability to make choices about your behavoir, beginning with your tone. Instead of passively allowing words and emotion to drip from your lips, actively choose your responses. It's not easy and will be a life long battle, but it's one worth fighting.  

3. Asking others helps us become aware of our tone. Sometimes you aren't aware of your tone. You're  too caught up in the emotion of the moment. A sign of maturity is to ask other people to help you evaluate your tone. It's a scary thing and you probably won't like what you hear, but it will help you grow. Ask your supervisor or others close to you, "What's my tone when things go wrong?" Ask and thank them for the information. Don't under estimate the value of other people who can help you see things in yourself and change. 

This is part of being a leader. Leaders consider their tone and adjust it when necessary. 

You Have A Choice

Your decisions are immensely powerful. Circumstances and situations do not have the power and sway we often to believe. By and large your outcomes are determined by the choices you make. 

To reach the ultimate outcomes you desire out of life you have to consciously make determinations to get you there. To reach your goals and achieve your desired outcomes there are two primary things you have to decide what you will do with.  

1. The thoughts that go through your mind

At some point I will have to devote greater ink to expounding on this area but today I want to focus on a few thoughts regarding the life of the mind. 

What will you fill your mind with? You woke up this morning with thoughts swimming around inside your head, many of them weren't positive, and you have to decide what you will do with them. Will you dwell on them? Will you begin to believe them? Will allow those thoughts, that did not originate with you, to determine how you approach your day? Or will you take control of the thoughts in your mind? Will you take those thoughts swimming in your mind through the truth test? Will you weigh them and compere them to truth? Today you have the opportunity to determine what your mind dwells on. As a man thinks, he will become. I encourage you to fill your mind with thoughts becoming the person you want to be. What thoughts will you choose to dwell on today? 

Our thoughts drive our actions. How we think and what we believe will determine the direction our feet move. Wherever your mind is, you will end up. If you think the mountain is too high to climb, you won't climb it. If you think certain obstacles in your life are insurmountable, they are. If you believe you are lacking in dignity, worth or value, you will behave in a manner that reflects it. However, if you will set your mind on good and positive things, you will act in accordance with those thoughts.  

Your attitude is a choice. Earlier I stated that circumstances and situations held far less sway over us that we often image. I specifically had this point in mind. While circumstances are real, we ultimately have the power to choose our attitude. We have the ability to choose to remain positive when hard times come. We have the power to choose to joy when the ground is shaking beneath our feet. We have the opportunity to have an attitude of service when all we want to dwell on are our difficulties.   

2. The opportunities before you

Each day we have to decide what we are going to do with the opportunities before us. These opportunities can be condensed to the question of how you will steward your time, the people who cross your path, and the resources you have. 

Each of us has 24 hours to steward each day. Your day, my day and your neighbor's day is 24 hours in length. Since our time is limited we have to make decisions about how we will utilize each moment of the day. You can spend your time on mindless activities, and non-productive tasks or you can choose to invest your time in productive, positive, life giving tasks. How do you allocate that time? What do you do with your lunch break, or your commute?  How do you leverage the seemingly small number of hours in the day towards effecting your desired outcomes?   

You will meet roughly 80,000 people in your lifetime. Studies have stated that the average person will interact with roughly 80,000 people throughout the course of their life. Each of those interactions is an opportunity to make a difference. How different would the outcomes in your life be if you viewed each new interpersonal interaction as an opportunity to add value to the life of another?  

You are wealthy. If you are reading this post, you are immeasurably rich. You may not pull down a six figure salary or drive a fancy car but you have resources beyond measure. Your income, your home, your vehicle, your relationships, and your talents are all resources latent with opportunity. I want to challenge you to look at each of the resources you have as an opportunity. The decisions you make regarding the wealth of resources at your disposal not only puts your heart on display but directly impacts the outcomes you achieve in life.