Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, (Hebrews 6:1)
Yesterday I suggested that we consider the degree of success we are having with the Disciplines. However we all know that often our current status is not quite as important as how we are improving. So, today as we continue to review the information on the Disciplines (www.40daysofdiscipline.com), let’s turn our attention from what level we are at to how much we are improving. Think about how much improvement in practicing each of the Disciplines you have seen in your life over the last year.
For your convenience here is a checklist:
| Level of Improvement | ||||
| Discipline | What success looks like | High | Medium | Low |
| Bible Study | A habit of regular Bible study. | |||
| Prayer | A habit of praying in all circumstances. | |||
| Worship | A lifestyle of submission to God. | |||
| Fellowship | Commitment not to “go it alone” but rather to grow with other believers. | |||
| Fasting | Periodically sacrificing our natural desires for a deeper relationship with Jesus. | |||
| Creation | An attitude of enjoying God’s creation. | |||
| Stewardship | Daily choosing to submit to God’s agenda since he owns everything. | |||
| Spiritual Warfare | Recognizing and resisting temptations. | |||
| Service | Daily choosing to go where Jesus would go and do what Jesus would do. | |||
| Sabbath | Commitment to setting apart a day for rest. | |||
| Counsel | A humble spirit which leads to seeking and receiving wise advice. | |||
Please consider today’s questions and share your thoughts if you feel led to do so.
Today’s Question for comments:
How do you evaluate your spiritual growth, and do the Disciplines play a role?
February 12, 2016 at 6:53 am
I will comment on one discipline in particular, that of prayer, for which I must solemnly admit that, at least in my life, the discipline is primarily forged in the furness of adversity. It has largely been through times of desperation, confronted by my own helplessness, that my prayer life has developed, not just to pray in those specific times of need per se, but making a renewed commitment to do so daily with intentionality, with discipline, pacts renewed in those most desperate of times.
I wish I could say that my prayer life was as much motivated by thoughts of thanksgiving and appreciation, giving praises, but I believe that to even think that would be to deceive ourselves, because such praises would ‘come naturally’ so to speak, while the discipline of prayer, is indeed, rightly, a discipline.
February 12, 2016 at 10:33 am
Absolutely the disciplines play a part in maturing me through prayer. I came to a point last year where I realized how intentional I had to be about my walk with Christ especially in certain disciplines. Prayer however does not take as much intentionality for me anymore. It’s become one of the glues in my relationship with Him. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) ” pray without ceasing” has become very real to mean. I’ve developed the attitude of talking often with the Lord, when I awake in the nights and can’t sleep, when thoughts of someone/something pop into my mind, good/bad situations during the day, sometimes the mundane seemingly unimportant things, sometimes I think I yap so much I wonder if He gets tired of me (like someone else, who’ll remain nameless 🙂 However I do have a special time when I read His word and pray, but I keep talking even after that. I’d also like to add that praying(gabbing/talking) without listening doesn’t work.
February 12, 2016 at 10:38 am
******real to ME
February 12, 2016 at 11:39 am
How do you evaluate your spiritual growth, and do the Disciplines play a role?
I score myself, average.I have started to improve in some of the disciples while still struggling with rest.
We needs God`s grace and help to move forward but we need to be proactive and more deliberate in choosing to take steps to trusting God who is always willing to assist.He has asked us to cast our burden on him, that is where we need to take proactive steps.
I have started praying on those disciplines that need much improvement, and know that god in His mercies will see me true.
Daniel Otajele,MD
February 12, 2016 at 1:03 pm
You know, its really nice to look at things from the perspective of improvement sometimes… rather than looking at absolutes all the time. I feel so much better about things after taking the time to analyze my growth over the past year based on the disciplines… Being a goal oriented person, sometimes within the last few months I have gotten so caught up in feeling like I am so far from where I need to be, from the perfection that we strive for… I fail to remember where I came from and even the journey in the last year I have seen such growth in many of these areas. I have very, very far to go but I have the encouragement to keep striving and to keep allowing my Father to keep doing His work in me.
February 14, 2016 at 6:51 am
Hey Heidi,
I liked this. Thanks for the reminder that it’s a walk and we aren’t finished yet. Better yet we have a great Guide.
February 12, 2016 at 10:51 pm
Generally, there’s improvement in my spiritual growth, however, fasting is a stunted area of growth as I usually do so so only if there’s a specific reason or need, not necessarily because it’s a spiritual discipline I’m striving to attain.
February 13, 2016 at 1:52 am
My Spiritual growth is a journey. Everyday I learn and grow with all the experiences and encounters with people from all walks of life. Yes, Disciplines play a major role in my growth. Praying is so important to me from the time I open my eyes in the morning till the time I rest in the evening, and look forward to another blessed day. With my busy schedule I make sure I read one Bible scripture each day and meditate on it, ask the Lord in prayer to bless me, my family, friends, and relatives before I go on with my day. If I am rushing in the morning, I make sure I still talk to the Lord in prayer while doing the things I need to do quickly. The Lord knows he is in my heart and my mind all the time. Here in Oman, Sunday is the start of work week and Friday is the time for worship at church. It was difficult for me in the beginning to adjust with my new schedule but in God’s help I am now getting used to it. I make sure that I allocate one day to read and answer all the questions from my BSF class…it means Bible Study fellowship. The assignments for this class is plenty (lots of reading and questions to answer)and supposed to be done everyday but with so many responsibilities and official duties I have I can only allocate one day for my BSF assignments and attend consistently the class every Tuesday morning at my church here in Muscat, Oman. Without disciplining myself to be organized and consistent with my prayer life, I don’t think I can handle all smoothly and calmly. I believe the Lord will grant the wisdom to deal with your situation as long as you keep asking Him for guidance and direction.
February 13, 2016 at 6:02 am
Aurora, this is so true. Your journey as stated blesses my soul and the testimony is full of appreciation of what the Lord is doing for you .
Amen. Be blessed always.
Daniel OTAJELE