Class 4 Devotional: Practicing the Way of Jesus through the Spirit
One recurring question we all face as followers of Jesus is: “how do I keep growing?” I made great progress those first few years of being a Christian. But since then, I’ve experienced extended periods of both stagnation and development. Looking back, my times of growth often came through trials. When my faith was tested, I had to dig deeper, fight harder, rely more on others, until I admitted that I am not in control and need God. The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways to transform us.
Recently, I’ve participated in a Recovery group after realizing I needed support to make some changes in my life. I’ve grown more through this experience than at almost any other time in my Christian life.
I learned to value:
• Treasures—to cherish what is really important in my life
• Weaknesses and Failures—leaning into my “darker side” to better understand who I really am
• Consistency—as some would say to “do the work”
• Authenticity—having a safe community where I can bring my whole self into relationships
• Trusted Friends—a few, committed relationships instead of trying to keep up with everyone
Each of these ingredients contributed to the changes I’ve experienced. I’m also convinced that I need to maintain these values to continue to progress in my spiritual transformation.
Traditionally, many churches emphasize a relatively small number of spiritual disciplines: Bible Study, prayer, and going to church with occasional discipleship and evangelism sprinkled in. These disciplines are valuable and helpful, even foundational. But our spiritual needs change as we age. At some point we need a different approach, a deeper understanding, more “solid food” (1 Cor 3:2) to continue to grow.
If what you are doing now is helping you grow, meeting your needs, leading to the outcomes you desire in your walk with God—keep going! The purpose of this class has been to introduce other spiritual disciplines and practices that may supplement your spiritual transformation. You may not even know what you need. That is why it is so valuable to continue to learn through scripture, prayer, study, fellowship, experience, and any other way God provides.
Full disclosure: we (the teachers of this class) don’t practice every one of these spiritual activities. Probably no one does. Certainly not consistently. That is because each of us walks our own spiritual pathway and certain disciplines fit better into how we grow. I’ve fasted but not very often. My only real solitude is my morning time with God. Evangelism certainly has not been a strength of mine for years. I’m more comfortable in Bible study but sometimes too academic rather than hearing God’s voice. My prayers are typically short, so I’ve tried to use prayer books and prayer naps (ask me about that one!) throughout the day to reconnect.
It can be overwhelming to look at all sixteen disciplines we introduced! There are dozens if not hundreds of other practices that can help you with spiritual transformation. Keep searching for what works for you. That is why we offered so many resources—there are many out there and you won’t connect with all of them!
You may just want to pick one discipline (e.g., prayer or fasting) and read a book on that, practice aspects you’ve not been doing, and explore the topic with another Christian. It just depends on what you need at this stage in your growth. We can’t tell you what that is, but we can share with you our journeys and what has helped us to continue to grow.
Here are some final concepts to help you figure out what you may decide to take away from this class:
• The movement of the Spirit at this phase in your life. You’ve never lived this part of your life before. The challenges, the opportunities, and lessons are unique. Embrace your life at this stage and try to figure out what God is teaching you. This may require a combination of spiritual disciplines to get you to hear what God is saying—prayer, Bible study, silence/solitude, fasting, repentance, fellowship… to get in touch with the Spirit and enjoy this time in your life! Journal or just write down what you are learning as a reminder of how God is working right now at this time in your life. Whether this stage feels like wilderness, valley, or mountain, experience God’s presence. Don’t miss the work of God!
• Learn to obey. The second half of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) has been called the “great omission” because the church can “make disciples” and neglect to “teach them to obey everything (Jesus) commanded.” Spiritual disciplines and practices identify areas of your walk with God that Jesus practiced and taught but that we don’t always obey. How can we implement “WWJD” (what would Jesus do?) without the same preparation that Jesus put into his walk with the Father and the Spirit? That is not realistic. Figure out an area in your life that you want to grow in (obey) and apply spiritual disciplines and practices in faith that God will work. See what God does with that!
• The Sabbath: “live a day in the Spirit.” Most Christians dismiss the practice of Sabbath without really understanding the potential benefits. God practiced Sabbath in creation—he rested on the seventh day. Consider what it would be like to set aside a day (or portion of a day) to only do what brings you delight in your relationship with God. We are not bound to Jewish Sabbath Laws—so you can define what you do and (perhaps more importantly) don’t do on that day. Sleep in. Take a nap. Enjoy gourmet foods. Spend quantity and quality time with those you love. Be alone. Spend time in nature. Disconnect from electronics. Play a game. Make love to your spouse. Yes—delight! “Feast on the abundance of your house… drink from your river of delights” (Psalm 36:8). Imagine living like that for 24 hours. Now let that overflow into the rest of your week… the rest of your life!!!
• Build a Rule of Life. Your life is built on habits. A rule of life is an intentional way of filling your life with foundational spiritual habits that invite and promote life in the Spirit. Spend some time thinking about what you want your life to be. Then replace habits that don’t serve that vision with habits that you believe will create the foundation you desire in your relationship with God. Yes, it will take some work –this is an activity for a lifetime that you’ll need to revisit as you move through phases in your life. For more information, PracticingtheWay.org has a workbook on how to design your own Rule of Life. The Rule includes sections for Abiding, Mind, Body, Relationships, Rest, Work/Money, and Gospel/Hospitality. Here are some practical steps to move in this direction:
• Consecrate your positive habits. Identify what you’re already doing. Dedicate those good habits to God through prayerfully considering why you continue in these practices and how they contribute toward your spiritual life.
• Subtraction rather than addition. Think about ways you can remove things from your life that will make more room for God rather than adding one more activity to your schedule.
• Consider where you want to go next in your walk with God. Select a few practices and disciplines that you can implement that will take you to that next place in your journey.
• Live out the vision. Write down your long-term vision. Print it out to visualize where you want to go and remind you why you are partnering with the Spirit to move in this direction!