Living in Increase (Part 6) - Increase in LeadershipSample

Spiritual Discipline

There are many spiritual disciplines, but some of the main spiritual disciplines include prayer, worship, and reading the Bible. Spiritual disciplines also include fasting, the Sabbath, and tithing.

It’s important to know that discipline is difficult. If you are healthy, you may discipline yourself by eating right and going to the gym regularly. Most people don’t enjoy going to the gym at first. It takes consistency and effort over time to become a habit or discipline. Similarly, as a Christian, you will want to grow your faith by engaging in spiritual disciplines. As you grow in your faith and relationship with God, you will naturally crave to learn about these disciplines and aim to incorporate them into your life.

I didn’t start with all of these goals at once. I started with what came easiest first. In behavior analysis, we have a saying about shaping:

“How do you eat an elephant? One manageable bite at a time.”

Don’t try to jump in and do everything at once. Most of us need baby steps. For example, reading your Bible and conducting a word study may seem daunting. Start with the Bible app or a manageable reading plan with friends. Over time, increase the complexity of your actions, and you will see how exciting it is to study God’s Word.

Over time, you will grow to love and crave spending time with Him. I use the example of the Bible because it’s been my experience that many struggle with this area. You may need to improve in other areas. Maybe you’re interested in beginning to tithe for the first time. Pray about it. Talk to a mentor or trusted friend. Remember that being a leader means people are following you. However, it doesn’t mean you must be perfect at everything. Find small steps to grow over time!

Carley Sheppard

Action Step: Put a spiritual discipline into practice today. Read the Bible, pray, fast, worship, etc.