04/21/2024
Lack of Spiritual Disciplines - The Church's Dilemma Today.
Most Christians are not spiritually disciplined. But wait, please let me explain.
When you hear Christians are not spiritually disciplined, your mind may jump and think I'm talking about being sinfree and living a life of piety. No, that's not my point. let's go deeper!
Spiritual discipline is spiritual exercise. 1 Timothy 4:7, "exercise yourself unto godliness." This command is in reference to good doctrine in the full context of the entire chapter. So, please take time to read it.
The word discipline comes from the Greek word, "gumnasia" from which we derive gymnasium, gymnastics, to exercise. So spiritual discipline or spiritual exercise refers to training our faith in God. And since faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God, spiritual discipline or spiritual exercise includes reading and meditating in the Word, praying and fasting, worshipping and sharing the word to win souls and make disciples for Christ.
Think about how much studies we undergo to build a secular career. Compare that to how little time an average Christian spend in studying the Word of Grace (Acts 20:32). Yet, in Matthew 11:29, Luke 9:23,and John 8:31-32, our Lord Jesus implied spiritual exercise for anyone who would aspire to be his disciple.
One Christians writer puts spiritual discipline or spiritual exercise this way and I concord with him. He said, "The desire and power for spiritual disciplines are produced by the grace of God. But Christians must exercise spiritual disciplines by reading the Word, fasting, praying, worshipping and sharing the Gospel, to attain hominess, which is the will of God for us."
We can therefore safely conclude that a colossal neglect of the word is the primary cause of lack of spiritual disciplines in the body of Christ. Zeal without knowledge is the case!
Jesus Christ Lord !