Dallas Willard, in The Spirit of the Disciplines,
and Richard Foster, in Celebration of Discipline,have compiled a
list of spiritual disciplines and practices they believe were modeled in the
life of Christ.
These disciplines are typically organized into two categories:
the disciplines of abstinence (or “letting go”) and the disciplines of
activity.
Disciplines of Letting Go
These practices allow us to relinquish something in order
to gain something new. We abstain from “busy-ness” in ministry, family life,
and work. We stop talking for a while to hear from God. We give up buying
another material possession to experience God more fully.
First Peter
2:11 warns us to “abstain from sinful desires, which war against your
soul.”
Identify what is keeping you from experiencing greater
strength and perspective. Do you talk too much? Are possessions controlling
you? Are you too worried about what others think? Choose disciplines that will
help you become more dependent on God.
Solitude—Spending time alone to be with God. Find
a quiet place to be alone with God for a period of time. Use the Bible as a
source of companionship with God. Listen to Him. Remain alone and still.
Silence—Removing noisy distractions to hear
from God. Find a quiet place
away from noise to hear from God. Write your thoughts and impressions as God
directs your heart. Silence can occur even in the midst of noise and
distraction. But you must focus your attention on your soul. This could mean
talking less or talking only when necessary. And it could mean turning off the
radio and the TV.
Fasting—Skipping a meal(s) to find greater
nourishment from God. Choose
a period of time to go without food. Drink water and, if necessary, take
vitamin supplements. Feel the pain of having an empty stomach and depend on God
to fill you with His grace.
Frugality—Learning to live with less money
and still meet your basic needs. Before
buying something new, choose to go without or pick a less expensive alternative
that will serve your basic needs. Live a simple, focused life.
Chastity—Voluntarily
choosing to abstain from sexual pleasures for a time (those pleasures that are
deemed morally right in the bond of marriage) to find higher fulfillment in
God. Decide together as a couple to set aside time to go without sexual
pleasures in order to experience a deeper relationship with God in prayer.
Secrecy—Avoiding self-promotion, practice
serving God without others knowing. Give
in secret. Serve “behind the scenes” in a ministry that you are assured few
will know about.
Sacrifice—Giving of our resources beyond what
seems reasonable to remind us of our dependence on Christ. Choose
to give your time or finances to the Lord beyond what you normally would.
Disciplines of Activity
Dallas Willard writes, “The disciplines of abstinence
must be counter-balanced and supplemented by disciplines of engagement
(activity).” It’s choosing to participate in activities that nurture our souls
and strengthen us for the race ahead.
Study—Spending time reading the Scriptures
and meditating on its meaning and importance to our lives. We
are nourished by the Word because it is our source of spiritual strength.
Choose a time and a place to feed from the Word of God regularly.
Worship—Offering praise and adoration to God. His
praise should continually be on our lips and in our thoughts. Read psalms,
hymns, or spiritual songs, or sing to the Lord daily using a praise tape. Keep
praise ever before you as you think of God’s mighty deeds in your life.
Prayer—Talking to and listening to God about
your relationship with Him and about the concerns of others. Find
time to pray to God without the distraction of people or things. Combine your
prayer time with meditation on the Scriptures in order to focus on Christ. Consider joining with others for prayer on Wednesday evening at 6:30 at North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene.
Fellowship—Mutual caring and ministry in the
body of Christ. Meet regularly with
other Christians to find ways to minister to others. Encourage one another.
Confession—Regularly confess your sins to the
Lord and other trusted individuals. As
often as you are aware of sin in your life, confess it to the Lord and to those
you may have offended.
Submission—Humbling yourself before God and
others while seeking accountability in relationships. Find
faithful brothers or sisters in Christ who can lovingly hold you accountable
for your actions and growth in Christ.
Source: Bill Donahue,
Leading Life-Changing Small Groups, (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids,
MI, 1996), pp. 51-52
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