For those committed to growing and preparing as global Message Bearers for the sake of His name!!!
“Before we can conquer the world, we must conquer the self” – Oswald Sanders
For this very first Message Bearer Memo of the academic year I’d like to get off on the right foot by highlighting the importance of and challenging us to the use of spiritual disciplines in our lives. Through discipline in our lives God is able to grow other gifts within us. Without this central quality the other areas of our lives cannot mature and grow. Though we need discipline in many areas of life, namely physical appetites, faithfulness, responsibility, etc., I want to highlight the necessity of spiritual disciplines. I want to suggest that becoming a person now, wherever you are, who practices spiritual disciplines regularly will open up the way to a potential lifetime of effective ministry. One of my professors from Fuller Seminary, Bobby Clinton, has done comparative studies of individuals who have been effective in ministry and has found that the presence of spiritual disciplines in these lives were consistently apparent. Nobody becomes effective for God over the long haul without becoming a person of spiritual disciplines.
A paraphrase of 1 Timothy 4:8 reads, “For physical exercise is advantageous somewhat but exercising in godliness has long term implications both for today and for that which is to come.” Right now, while we’re in college or early in our careers is when the Lord wants to prepare us, train us, form us, and break us by His hand in order that we may walk as those who are able to reflect Him and His love once we go out as message bearers. I encourage you to allow the Holy Spirit to dig deep into your heart as you reflect on these disciplines and their presence or lack thereof in your own life.
Let me highlight seven abstinence spiritual disciplines and give a definition of each, some purposes for each, and ways to apply them to our lives. Different from engagement spiritual disciplines, like Bible study disciplines, fellowship, confession, etc., these require an individual to abstain from something. This material is taken from Clinton’s Biblical Leadership Commentary.
Solitude
Definition - This is a purposeful abstention from interaction with other human beings and the denial of companionship and all that comes from interaction with others with a view toward focusing on spiritual things.
Some purposes Include - To free us from routine and controlling behaviors in order to gain God’s perspective- to hear Him better, to teach us to live inwardly, to teach us to slow down, to gain a new freedom to be with people.
Ways to Apply the Idea - Learn to take advantage of little solitudes during the day; Find places that are conducive to solitude and deliberately set out to spend time in them; Have special repetitive times during the year which you set aside to be alone for evaluation and reorientation of goals, etc.
Silence
Definition - This is the practice of not speaking and closing oneself off from all kinds of sounds.
Some Purposes Include - To cause us to consider our words more fully before we say them so as to exercise better control over what we say; to listen to people more attentively; to observe others and other things; to allow life-transforming concentration upon God.
Ways to Apply the Idea – Arise for a time alone in the middle of the night in order to experience a period of silence; Go away to a retreat center for a day of silence; Refrain from turning on the radio, TV or CD player or whatever, at times you usually do so; When in the car do not turn on the radio but instead meditate and pray.
Fasting
Definition - This is the deliberate abstinence from food and possibly drink for a period of time.
Some Purposes Include- Teaches self- denial; physical well-being – cleanses body; releases power; increased sense of the presence of God in intercessory prayer; increased effectiveness; revelation from God; increase of spiritual authority; guidance in decisions; deliverance for those in bondage; increased concentration; brings intensive focus in Bible study.
Ways to Apply the Idea - An absolute fast, no food and no water (up to 3 days); no food, water only (up to 40 days); No food, liquids other than water, etc (up to 40 days)
Frugality
Definition - This is the abstention from using money or goods at our disposal in ways that merely gratify our desires or our hunger for status, glamour, or luxury.
Some Purposes Include - It frees us from concern and involvement with a multitude of desires; frees from the spiritual bondage caused by debt; teaches us respect for responsible stewardship; lessens the importance of things as essential to life; teaches us empathy for those who do not have resources; can lead toward simplicity as a way of life – the arrangement of life around a few consistent purposes, explicitly excluding what is not necessary to human well-being.
Ways to Apply the Idea – Learn to eat simply (fewer meat meals); learn to opt for leisure activities which do not cost; Pass on clothing to others; respect the environment; learn to budget and stick to it; exercise discipline with credit cards.
Chastity
Definition - A chaste person (whether married or single) is one who manifests the qualities of sexual wholeness and integrity in relationship to oneself, to persons of the same sex, and to persons of the opposite sex.
Some Purposes Include - As an aid to total concentration while having extended times of fasting and praying; in marriage, bring proper focus so that sexual gratification is seen not to be the center of a relationship; recognize the importance of persons as persons; point out the power of lust in a life; teach positive relationships with those of the opposite sex.
Ways to Apply the Idea – Learn to value highly your own personhood and sexuality and that of others; Guard your thought life; abstain from any entertainment that might indulge improper sexual thoughts; Deliberately seek the good of those of the opposite sex that you come in contact with in daily life.
Secrecy
Definition - This practice results from disciplined activities, in which one seeks to abstain from causing ones good deeds and qualities being known.
Some Purposes Include - To help us control a desire for fame, justification or the attention of others; to help us center on God’s affirmation; to learn to love to be unknown and even accept misunderstanding without the loss of peace, joy or purpose; experience a continuing relationship with God independent of the opinions of others.
Ways to Apply the Idea – Refrain from discussing your good qualities or accomplishments among others; Accept compliments graciously without much ado; Do not defend yourself when you are attacked; Recognize inwardly when praise comes that all you are comes from God.
Sacrifice
Definition- This is the abstention from the possession or enjoyment of what is necessary for our living and involves forsaking the security of meeting our own needs with what is in our possession.
Some Purposes Include - To learn to trust in God and not our own means of security; enables us to meet other people’s needs; teaches us the risk of faith.
Ways to Apply the Idea – Respond to another’s need by giving that which you were planning on using for yourself; Save all your loose change for a month and give it away
Together For the Nations,
Ryan Shaw
Director
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