Spiritual Disciplines: Learning to Put the Ways of Jesus Into PracticeSample

Spiritual Disciplines 101

Ponder this moment from the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus has been teaching the people about the ways of the Kingdom in what we now know as the Sermon on the Mount. He concludes the talk by offering the following words of wisdom to all would-be followers.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7:24-27NIV)

With these words, Jesus is inviting His future apprentices, both then and now, into an interactive, intimate relationship characterized by deep surrender. As time passes, intimacy with Jesus begins to grow, leading to increased trust in His character and a willingness to put into practice all that He said and did.

The practices of Jesus down through the ages have come to be known as the Spiritual Disciplines.

However, in our culture today, the word discipline often has a negative connotation.

For some, it may be a vivid reminder of getting caught by your parents doing something you knew you weren't supposed to be doing and the ensuing punishment that was sure to follow. And for others, even the thought of discipline may trigger the memory of a previous church hurt.

If that is you, as we go through this series, feel free to exchange the word discipline for practice, rhythm, or habit. The enemy of our souls would love nothing more than for you and me to get stuck in our past hurts, derailing us from considering the role that Spiritual Disciplines might play in our formation into the person Jesus calls us to be.

So, who exactly are the Spiritual Disciplines for?

It would be easy to think that living a disciplined life is just for super Christians - or pastors and missionaries who have committed their vocational lives to spreading the Gospel message. However, Richard Foster paints a very different picture of who the Spiritual Disciplines are for. He wrote, "God intends the disciplines of the spiritual life to be for ordinary human beings: people who have jobs, who care for children, who wash dishes and mow lawns. In fact, the disciplines are best exercised in the midst of our relationships with our husband or wife, our brothers and sisters, or friends and neighbors."

Tomorrow, we will focus on what the Spiritual Disciplines are and what they are not. As you go, take some time this week to read through the entire Sermon on the Mount (See Matthew 5 -7), meditating on Jesus' words, allowing them to take deep root in your soul.