Spiritual Growth
Spiritual Growth
Growing close to God isn’t automatic.We have to make choices to seek and depend on God in order to really experience his power and intentions for our lives. "Spiritual disciplines" are ways we can create spaces for God to work in our lives. There are many spiritual disciplines—here are just a few that we suggest experimenting with:
Bible Reading
The Bible is the uniquely inspired revelation of God, and should be regarded by Christ-followers as the ultimate standard of truth in all matters of faith. Reading the Bible sustains the spirit, just as food sustains the body."All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Experiment:
Read one chapter of the New Testament and one Psalm each day. (If you don’t have a Bible, pick up a free one in the Atrium.) Ask yourself what the things you read mean to you. Pray that God would teach you what you need to receive and understand.
Prayer
Talk to God, just as you are. Tell Him your concerns as they spill from your head and heart—unsolved, unfiltered, confused. God can comprehend our sounds of deep frustration and pain, and our joy that we can barely speak. Having spoken your heart, listen for God’s response. Quiet your mind. Be still.Experiments:
- Spend a few minutes talking and listening to God when you wake up, leave your house, return, go to bed.
- Pray the short prayer: “God come rescue me” over and over during the day.
- Read “Prayer” by Richard J. Foster
Silence & Solitude
Silence is not simply the absence of noise. It has a substance of its own. Silence is closer to love than talking; it feeds, integrates, nourishes and reveals reality. Silence draws us to the center of God. Detach from the noise. Remove yourself from the need to impress others, to belong to the conversation of others and from the coercion of linear thinking. Center yourself on quiet and rest.Experiments:
- Go to a quiet place for two hours. Be silent, and write down what you think and see.
- Go without the radio in your car for a week. Put your iPod in a drawer.
- Take a silent retreat. (Try the Convent of the Transfiguration in Glendale, OH or the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, KY)
Journaling
Writing out your thoughts is key to growth. It slows you down. It focuses your mind and allows you to go deeper than the "top of mind." Journaling means writing your story so you can read it, understand it and choose to live differently or more intentionally as a result. Journaling is a way to empty yourself of your deepest spirit: the poisons, celebrations, disappointments and fears.Experiment:
Find a place and time to journal regularly (30 minutes or so is a good place to start). You might prefer the gray noise of crowds or the quiet of a park. Wherever you are, just write. Don't critique yourself or wonder if you’re crazy. And forget about grammar rules—just write freely.
Meditation
Meditating on scripture is a way to focus deeply on God’s word. It allows us to attach to God, find stillness and refreshment and put off the distractions of physical senses and a fast world.Experiment:
Choose a passage from the Bible to focus on this week. Write it out on a card and carry it. Refer to it often. Each day, take 20 minutes to read the passage slowly and reflect on it. Pray that God will bring it alive to you and your life.
Rest
It is God’s command—not suggestion—that we rest. His command is to observe the Sabbath day (resting one of every seven days). Resting is an act of faith; it acknowledges that God will completely fill our needs and that he’s in control. By resting, we say to God, "You know better than I do. You have my best interest in mind, and I trust you."Experiment:
Think about what gives you true rest. Is it a quiet room? Gardening, hiking, reading? Plan your one day a week to slow down. Don’t do errands or make calls, just engage in the acts that renew you and give you rest.
Gratitude
God says repeatedly that we should thank him. In fact, we should thank him continuously."Be filled with the Spirit…Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything." (Ephesians 5:19-20)
Experiment:
Find a place that you think is beautiful and peaceful. Spend 30 minutes contemplating all the ways you see God’s gifts to you in it.
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