Nate asked me an important question this weekend. He asked, “When and how did you become disciplined in spiritual growth?” That’s a great question. I wish I could say I was most excellently disciplined, but I’m not…just disciplined. I wonder though if some of you may be equal curious as to the answers to this question.
I first got serious about becoming a student of God’s Word and having daily time with Christ in my mid-twenties. I wish it had happened earlier. I grew up in church, but it wasn’t until then that I really took my walk more serious than a Sunday routine.
As to how I disciplined myself, which may be the more important answer, that really has a two-part answer.
- I developed a passion for spiritual growth. The bottom line for most of us is that we are only going to do those things we want to do. For me, thanks to the encouragement of a pastor at the time, I gained a sincere desire to know Christ more; serious enough that I was willing to discipline myself to do it.
- I found a system that worked for me. At first, I didn’t remember to tell Nate about this one, but it was an equally important part I believe in me becoming a self-learner. Many people have a desire, but they never come up with the system that will accomplish the desire. I found a system that fueled my passion, but also kept me disciplined enough to follow through each day. I haven’t kept the same system I had then continually, but I know even today that without one I’m less likely to be disciplined in spiritual growth. (I once wrote about that system HERE.)
There’s my answer to when and how I became disciplined in spiritual growth. What’s your answer…or is this a question for which you still need to work on finding an answer?
I encourage you to start today!
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That is helping me these days also! Thanks!
I think a crisis is often used to draw people closer to Christ and more committed to their faith. Experiencing God…the old version…was one thing greatly used in my life. Thanks!
Not sure that I'm totally there yet. But for me it was being put in a crisis and really having nowhere else to look. Having my eyes opened by those I love that I did indeed have a problem. Then counseling with a pastor at my church and being with other men in an accountability role. All of these helped to put me, finally, in the place the Lord had always wanted me to be. From there He was able to lift me up and set me in a new relationship with Him and from that I have started to grow spiritually. The devotional *Experiencing God Day by Day" has been a good resource, but mostly it's come from the strength that He gives me every day to survive and keep going while parts of me really want to quit.
Experiencing God was a powerful part of my growth also….the original version!
I do it through writing articles and working on my book.
Thanks! I do this also
Ron, you are coming up with some great questions-reflection is a key to growth. My spiritual discipline started when I was a freshman at Ohio State in 1969. God had just convicted me of hypocrisy and the necessity of having my words and my actions line up. As I daily rode a city bus to and from campus, I began reading a GOOD NEWS FOR MODERN MAN NEW TESTAMENT. It wasn't long until I was reading Matthew 24 where I read the words "Abomination of Desolation." I had never heard of such a thing and I asked God what in the world it was. Thus began my quest to understand the Bible.
I have used several systems for Bible study, but my most consistent method involved tons of index cards and lots of writting down verses. By writing down the verses, I fixed them in my mind, and the more verses I had in my mind, the more connections I could make.
I love the index card method. I've done that too!