It's easy to feel discontented and guilty about our lack of spiritual development. Some days we wonder, Am I making any real progress in spirituality? Am I really any more like Christ today than I was five years ago? How do I even pursue that?
Since Jesus practiced solitude, silence, prayer, simple living, submission, and worship on a regular basis, the only way for us to become more like him is to arrange our lives as he arranged his.
Our Disciplines
Following are several disciplines to help us rearrange our lives.
- Solitude. Thomas Merton calls solitude the most basic of the disciplines, saying, "True solitude cleanses the soul." In solitude we discover the purpose of life is not simply to find techniques to be successful, but to laugh, to weep, to pray, to know God. Being saved means to live. Some pastors come to the office an hour or two before others arrive to take advantage of the stillness. Others schedule a whole day away from the church for solitude.
- Silence. One way to practice silence is to schedule a quiet day once a week—a fast from noise, in which we try to talk as little as possible. We can create a quiet environment by not listening to tapes or the radio while driving. During these days many of us realize how addicted to noise we have become.
- Reading Scripture outside of our messages. It's tempting to try to save time by using the same texts for personal reflection that we later will use for sermons. But in doing so, we often end up focusing on how we can use the text in a message. As a result, we may relate it to every soul but ours. One practice is to read books that give specific exercises for meditating on Scripture. Spiritual Exercises by Ignatius Loyola can help us contemplate the consequences of sin and examine our consciences for the sin most destructive to us.
- Confession. We need someone with whom we can be honest— someone whose spirituality we respect, who can keep things confidential, offer unconditional acceptance, and be utterly truthful. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "Confession is the God-given remedy for self-deception and self-indulgence. When we confess our sins before a brother-Christian, we are mortifying the pride of the flesh and delivering it up to shame and death through Christ. Then through the word of absolution we rise as new men… Confession is thus a genuine part of the life of the saints, and one of the gifts of grace."
- Service. One of the best places to practice this discipline is at home. We could begin by scheduling times when we take care of our children, or do extra things around the house—and make an internal commitment not to keep track.
- Fasting. The idea of fasting is foreign to some pastors, but once started, the act becomes progressively easier. Among other benefits, it can make us much more aware of how hurried we are. There seems to be a link between fasting and the ability to resist cravings for things besides food.
A Disciplined Pastor?
Thomas Merton wrote, "We do not want to be beginners. But let us be convinced of the fact that we will never be anything else but beginners all our life!"
Perhaps the main thing the disciplines teach us is hope—that the effort to become more like Christ has a definite shape. Given a lifetime, change is possible.
John C. Ortberg, Jr., Leadership Handbooks of Practical Theology, Volume 3, Leadership and Administration; Personal Devotions; pp. 28-29. Used by permission of Baker Books, a division of Baker Book House Company, copyright © 1994.
