The Gift of Spiritual Disciplines
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase spiritual disciplines?
For many people, the words can trigger thoughts of religious duty, striving, or obligation. Some may not be able to name many spiritual disciplines, yet they immediately feel guilt, boredom, dryness, or weariness when the topic comes up. Perhaps it's the word discipline itself that creates resistance.
But what if we've misunderstood these practices?
Spiritual disciplines are not meant to be burdensome obligations. They are giftsâpractical ways of drawing near to God and experiencing His grace. Think of them as pathways that help direct our attention toward Him. They don't create God's presence, but they help us become more aware of it.
Many believers have found practices such as Bible reading, study, and meditation helpful for focusing their hearts on God. Others connect deeply through prayerâwhether through silence, stillness, solitude, listening, or honest conversation with Him. Reflection and self-examination can...
Becoming a Spiritually Attentive Friend
Have you ever felt like people arenât really listening when you speak? Maybe theyâre nodding, but their eyes wander. Or they respond in a way that makes you wonder if they heard you at all. Chances are, their minds are elsewhereâthinking about their to-do list, waiting for their turn to talk, or simply distracted.
Whatâs especially frustrating is when someone answers based on what they think you were going to say, not what you actually said. Itâs as if they checked out of the conversation early, filling in the blanks with their own assumptions or opinions. Sometimes people are more focused on delivering advice than understanding whatâs truly being shared.
But Scripture reminds us:
"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak." (James 1:19)
Listening Is a GiftâOne We Canât Get Back
Your full attention is one of the most valuable gifts you can offer another person. Time is limited, and when you choose to spend it truly listening, you're giving something that can never be reclai...
Are you seeing the Kingdom of God around you?
Sometimes, my wife canât believe how blind I can be â especially when Iâm searching for something in the refrigerator. There are many moments when I miss things that are right in front of me â clothes that need to go upstairs, trash that needs to be taken out, dishes that need washing. Itâs rarely intentional, I promise.
But thereâs a different kind of blindness that Jesus talked about â one that goes beyond missing something on a shelf. In Luke 17:20-21, He said, âThe coming of the Kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, âHere it is,â or âThere it is,â because the Kingdom of God is in your midst.â
Jesus was pointing out that Godâs Kingdom isnât always obvious. Itâs not something you can just see on the surface. Itâs something that requires attention, discernment, and spiritual insight. It often works quietly beneath the surface, in ways that are easy to miss if weâre not paying attention.
Take, for example, the moment when Jesus was watching peopl...
Are You Dialing-In?
Sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings â they are bombarding and impacting us all day long. We have to filter out so much of what is coming our way, just to survive. When itâs time to listen to people, however, we need to shift gears. We need to switch our emphasis from screening-out to dialing-in.
Active listening is one of the most important skills you will ever develop. It dials-in your attention toward the person speaking. Good listening is a life-long pursuit, and we need to relentlessly give ourselves to it.
Jesus was the best listener that has walked the planet. You can tell by the way asked and answered questions. His questions often were laser-like, honing in on the heart of the matter. Yet, sometimes His answers seemed almost unrelated to the questions that were asked of Him.
At first glance, He might have appeared to be missing the point, or not really listening, or disvaluing the question. But, soon it became apparent that His answers moved people to a deeper consider...
Does Your House Need A Clean Up?
Sometimes the things that seem like they will make our lives easier and more efficient are the very things that can steal our purpose and passion right out from under us.
Godâs desire has always been to draw people from all nations into His eternal household. But, âdoing churchâ (or, in this case, "doing temple") got in the way of that purpose in the lives and practice of the people of God. Addressing the people in Jerusalem, Jesus quoted from the book of Isaiah and said, âIs it not written: âMy house will be called a house of prayer for all nationsâ? But you have made it a den of robbers.ââ (Mark 11:17) When the people came to make sacrifices at the temple they had to bring animals, or grain or whatever was needed. This proved to be quite an inconvenience for those who had a long way to travel, so they developed a system of exchange right at the temple. People could simply bring money and âbuyâ what they needed for sacrifice âonsite.â This made things much easier for many people, Â bu...
