For the past two and a half months, I’ve been following the Bible Recap reading plan and listening to Tara Leigh Cobble’s accompanying podcast by the same name. Each day, she summarizes that day’s Bible reading, shares her “God shot” (i.e. what she learned about God’s character), and ends with a short, simply phrase: He’s where the joy is. (You can even buy a tee-shirt with this phrase printed on the front!)
Admittedly, there have been days I’ve heard her say those words and I didn’t feel joyful. I began to wonder, if God is the source of our peace and joy and I’m walking closely with Him, then why do I feel sad, discouraged, even discontent at times? Perhaps you have wondered this too.
This week as I was recording a podcast episode with my friend, Abby, about stress and anxiety, God revealed the answer in His Word:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
I may be walking with God, but I am easily distracted by worldly things—schedules, to-do lists, and day to day troubles. I had fallen into the trap of looking for peace and joy in the wrong places—neither one can be found outside of Christ!
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
I developed a longing to experience the peace, love, and joy of Christ to greater depths; to face daily demands with more patience and self-control; and to become a walking testimony to the power of Christ within me. I want to exude joy despite hardship and peace in the midst of worldly chaos in a way that makes others curious—that they might notice something different about me and perhaps even ask about it. That gives me an opportunity to share the Source.
Only God gives us abilities beyond ourselves to respond to difficult situations with gentleness, remain faithful in times of trial, and exhibit goodness through obedience to Him and acts of service in a society that tells us it’s all about us.
Love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control—these are the fruit of the Spirit as a result of God’s work in our lives that enable us to live an abundant, Christlike life despite the enemy’s attempts to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). The fruit of the Spirit develop through Christ’s power as we partner with Him, submit to His authority, and obey what He is calling us to do. We can not make them grow, but we can pull the weeds (e.g. distractions, doubts), create space for His voice to be heard and His Word to take root, and provide our faith with spiritual nourishment (e.g. scripture, prayer, fellowship). When we do so, God will help us “bear much fruit.”
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
We can position ourselves to more fully receive the fruit of the Spirit by practicing the spiritual disciplines. Some spiritual disciplines, including submission, solitude, simplicity, and fasting, require us to eliminate or let go of something. Others, such as prayer, study, service, and worship, require us to pursue or practice habits that God will use to transform our heart, mind, and soul so we can become more like Jesus.
“The Spiritual Disciplines are the means of God’s grace for bringing about genuine personality formation characterized by love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)…They are the means of God’s grace for the formation and transformation of heart and mind and spirit and body and soul.” – Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline
Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline, is one of my favorites for spiritual formation because it combines biblical wisdom with practical ideas for how to draw closer to Christ and experience His love, joy, and peace to greater depths. The spiritual disciplines are not a set of laws, nor do they produce the change themselves, but they place us in a position where change through Christ is possible. The focus is not on what we do, but in being in the presence of our Heavenly Father. Through Him, we are transformed beyond what we could ever ask for or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
Foster’s book describes in detail twelve disciplines—four inward disciplines (i.e. meditation, prayer, fasting, study), four outward disciplines (i.e. simplicity, solitude, submission, service), and four corporate disciplines (i.e. confession, worship, guidance, celebration). Today’s post focuses on the inward and outward disciplines, along with some suggested resources I have found helpful for spiritual growth and formation.
The Inward Disciplines
1. Meditation: Foster describes meditation as “the ability to hear God’s voice and obey His Word.” The point is to create physical, emotional, and spiritual space that invites Christ to speak and put us in a position to listen. The Hebrew word for listen is “shema,” which means to hear and respond in obedience to the Lord.
Christian meditation aims not to empty the mind, but to fill it with God so that we are led toward inner wholeness. There are many forms of meditation, such as reading scripture, “centering down,” and embracing silence, but each form involves breaking free from activity and setting aside external affairs to give our complete, undivided attention to God.
2. Prayer: In the words of Richard Foster, “of all the spiritual disciplines prayer is the most central because it ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father.” Prayer helps us desire the things God desires, love the things He loves, and will the things He wills so we can see things from His perspective and prioritize what matters to Him. Cultivating a powerful prayer life takes time and, while there is no prescription for an effective prayer life, the Bible outlines some guidelines to keep in mind as we pray. Click here to download 8 Habits for a More Powerful ad Effective Prayer Life.
As parents, it is also important that we teach our children how to pray, read, and understand the Bible. The primary way God reveals Himself to us is through scripture, which is why it’s so important, as parents, that we are in the Word too. Inviting our children to pray with us and providing guidance to make wise decisions based on God’s Word will have a profound impact on their future. Three books that have been tremendously useful to me for prayer and understanding the Bible (other than my Life Application Study Bible) are The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, Know Your Bible by Paul Kent, and Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side: 40 Conversations to Help Them Build A Lasting Faith by Natasha Crain.
3. Fasting: Spiritual fasting involves abstaining from food to strengthen our faith and grow closer to God. In the Bible, it is grouped together with giving and prayer as a regular part of Christian devotion. Matthew 6:16 says, “when you fast…,” not if you fast, assuming that, while it is not a commandment, it is something Christ-followers will want to do to develop a more intimate walk with God.
There are many purposes of fasting, including fasting for insight and decision making (The Saint Paul Fast), fasting for health and physical healing (The Daniel Fast), and fasting for freedom from addiction (The Disciple’s Fast). The book, Fasting for a Spiritual Breakthrough by Elmer Towns, outlines each of these fasts, along with step-by-step instructions to carry them out. Foster contends that, “more than any other Discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us”—whether pride, anger, food, or fear—so that we can be humbled, set free, and formed into the image of Christ.
4. Study: To replace destructive thoughts and habits with healthy, God-honoring ones, we must regularly study scripture. Scripture is central to all the spiritual disciplines because, without knowledge of God’s truth, we can not be set free. The four steps of study are repetition, concentration, comprehension, and reflection, each of which is described in Foster’s book. Successful study of scripture is aided by life experience; other books, commentaries, and interpretive literature (e.g. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is a must read); journaling our findings, interpretations, and applications; and live discussion. God gives us community to grow and learn together. I made a commitment to participating in a small group each semester and it has had such a positive impact on my spiritual walk. Consider what small group you might sign up for to engage in biblical discussion and fellowship.
The Outward Disciplines
5. Simplicity: In the words of Foster, “The Christian Discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle.” It helps us set money, possessions, worldly accomplishments, and other material things in their proper perspective so that God is restored to the throne of our lives. Simplicity requires us to let go of practices, time commitments, thoughts, and relationships that contaminate body and spirit so that we can better reflect the image of Christ (1 Corinthians 7:1). The foundation of Christian simplicity is to seek first the Kingdom of God and trust that everything else will fall in its proper place. As we develop an inward spirit of trust, we will develop an outward expression of love, peace, and joy. (Foster outlines ten principles for the outward expression of simplicity, but you’ll have to buy his book to check them out!)
Over the past few years I have wholeheartedly embraced simplicity as a means to make God the number one priority in my life, eliminate unnecessary clutter, reduce stress, and focus on the things that truly matter. My favorite books on the topic include Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist, A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living by Emily Ley (this one is very practical), and Freedom of Simplicity: Finding Harmony in a Complex World by Richard Foster, which dives deeper into Christian history and theology. Each of these books helps us unplug from a consumptive society so we can cultivate silence and solitude with the Lord.
6. Solitude: My favorite quote from this section is, “We can cultivate an inner solitude and silence that sets us free from loneliness and fear. Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment.” Don’t we all crave connection and fulfillment?
As an extrovert, being alone is difficult for me; I am energized by the company of others. Yet, the times I have heard God speak the loudest and have felt His presence the most have been in moments of silence and solitude. My ideas for writing come in the quiet of the morning before my kids are awake; conviction from the Holy Spirit often occurs during times of prayer and reflection. I have found that solitude is necessary to truly listen—that is, to hear, respond, and obey. The seasons of life where I am hustling from one activity to the next and not carving out time for solitude are the ones where I feel most frazzled, confused, and disconnected.
The point of solitude is to refrain from talking so we are placed in a posture to listen. The more we do this, the better we become at discerning God’s voice from our own. It requires us to trust that God will show up—but, we must not give up! Lamentations 3:25 ESV tells us “the LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” Set at least a few minutes alone with God daily and wait expectantly for how He will speak to you.
7. Submission: Foster says, “the obsession to demand that things go the way we want them to go is one of the greatest bondages in human society today.” Submission calls us to give up our plan for the good of others and the fulfillment of God’s will. It is through self-sacrifice that we find joy and through carrying out God’s will that our lives have meaning and purpose.
Jesus taught that the way to self-fulfillment is through self-denial. Less of me, more of Jesus. This is something I’ve been praying for recently as I strive to let go of control, allow God to peel back the layers of my own character, and invite Him to reveal areas I have not completely surrendered to Him. It is only through submission, not our own efforts, that we begin to display the fruit of the Spirit. Submit to the Lord and be set free.
8. Service: Paul tells us, in 1 Corinthians 10:24, that “no one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” Service requires us to relinquish our rights for what we think we deserve to demonstrate God’s sacrificial love. Our willingness to set our own desires aside to meet the needs of others stems from a deep relationship with our Divine Creator. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). It is through receiving God’s unconditional, transformative love that we become able to extend that type of love to others. Whose life might you transform through simple acts of service?
Service produces humility. It cultivates gratitude and compassion. And it gives us an opportunity to use our spiritual gifts to build up the Body of Christ. (Do you know your spiritual gifts? If not, you can take this test for free.) Mine are shepherding, teaching, and evangelism, which means I have a Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by caring for the needs of a group of Christians, lead people beyond my natural sphere of influence to Christ, and make clear the truth of God’s Word with accuracy and real-life application.
You know what I’ve found? Exercising these gifts brings growth and great joy. When I am operating within my gifts, I come alive; I experience the peace, love, and joy of Christ that I have been longing for; and I help advance the Kingdom of God.
Putting It Into Practice
The purpose of all the spiritual disciplines is freedom from our stubborn self-will and strongholds of this world so we can discern God’s will and be completely transformed. Practicing the spiritual disciplines is similar to physically disciplining our body to finish a race or mentally disciplining our mind to focus on truth, but the benefits we reap from placing ourselves in the manifest presence of God (different than His omnipresence) have eternal significance. We learn how to worship, we discover what pleases God, and we take an active role in building up His Kingdom—all of which we will carry with us into our next life.
“Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself. Let us be among those who believe that the inner transformation of our lives is a goal worthy of our best effort.” – Richard Foster
Call to Action: If you believe the inner transformation of your life is a goal worthy of your best effort, spiritual disciplines are a necessity. Which practices are you already implementing? Which ones can you work on? Leave a comment below and also let me know if you’re interested in learning about the corporate disciplines and how they can further your walk with Christ. For more information you might also want to check out the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhoun—it’s a fantastic resource!
References:
1. Foster, Richard. (2018). Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. New York, NY : HarperOne.
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