A Monk in the World :: HUMILITY

As A MONK IN THE WORLD WE ARE LEARNING THE TEACHINGS AND PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN MONASTICISM AND HOW WE CAN APPLY THEM TO OUR LIVES OUTSIDE THE MONASTERY WALLS. 

humil'ity, n [L. humilitas.]
freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth; a deep sense of one's own unworthiness in the sight of God; self-abasement; penitence for sin; and submission to the divine will.** 

Showing respect to the Lord will make you wise and being humble will bring honor to you. ~ Proverbs 15:33

One of the toughest things to learn and practice is humility. Certainly not a topic of daily conversation. But in the last couple of years this is exactly where God has had me parked. And I am reminded of it regularly.  

Why? 

Because I struggle with pride, vanity and every possible opposite of humility.

I will sit and think lowly of myself, having a pity party, imagining no one cares about me, thinking that nothing I do matters to anyone.  I never imagined doing this was prideful.

In fact I am having an immodest estimate of my own worth. I am thinking I should be more important to everyone else than they seem to be showing me.

Everyone who tries to honor himself shall be humbled; and he who humbles himself shall be honored. ~ Luke 14:11

This saying demonstrates that all exaltation is a type of pride. ~ The Rule of Benedict 7:2

Saint Benedict's Rule has humility at its core because humility is at the core of the Gospel. That means it should be at my core as well.

I might be walking around with humble behavior. But if in my heart I am always seeking more recognition... I've still got a lot of work to do!


**Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary

A Monk in the World :: STABILITY

IN A MONK IN THE WORLD WE ARE LEARNING THE TEACHINGS AND PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN MONASTICISM AND HOW WE CAN APPLY THEM TO OUR LIVES OUTSIDE THE MONASTERY WALLS. 

Stability is a vow taken by a Benedictine monk binding her to residence for life in the same monastery in which she made her vow. 

Many of us outside the monastery walls change jobs, houses, cars and partners as quickly as we change our clothes. The idea of staying in the same place of residence our entire life is unimaginable! 

Stability is also a critical aspect of addiction recovery. When I was practicing addiction and emotional pain would show up, the first thing I wanted to do was escape.

If I couldn't numb out with a substance then I wanted to run away. Some how I thought the pain inside wouldn't follow me, but of course, it always did. 

Even after years of recovery there are days I struggle with the need to escape. But God gently pulls me back to a place of stability.

• Stability centers us in something Greater than ourselves so nothing less than ourselves can sweep us away.
• Stability requires listening and acceptance. We must quiet ourselves and listen to what the situation is it trying to teach us.
• Stability takes the monotonous and creatively betters it. Once we accept the situation freedom comes and we find the creativity to improve it.

The world clamors for us to change everything about ourselves.

 Stability asks us to stay and grow so that change may come.

RESOURCES:

Seeking God: The Way of Saint Benedict by Esther de Waal
Monk Habits for Everyday People: Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants by Dennis Okholm
How to be a Monastic and Not Leave your Day Job by Br. Benet Tvedten

Wisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict by Joan Chittister, OSB

Image credit: iqoncept / 123RF Stock Photo

12 Steps of Humility :: PERSEVERANCE

EACH MONTH IN THE 12 STEPS OF HUMILITY WE ARE CLIMBING SAINT BENEDICT'S LADDER OF HUMILITY.  WITH EACH RUNG WE COME CLOSER TO THE PERFECT LOVE OF GOD.

The ladder is our life on earth, if we humble our hearts God will raise it to heaven. ~ St Benedict

Step 4 of Humility: In this obedience under difficult, unfavorable, or even unjust conditions, [her] heart quietly embraces suffering and endures it without weakening or seeking escape.

If you remain faithful to the end you will be saved. ~ Matthew 10:22 

In our world today we want any trial we are facing to be corrected yesterday. We don't have time, nor are we willing to persevere through the crisis.  This leaves us living as spiritual infants.

According to Saint Benedict in our obedience, we are to hold fast when things aren't going our way. And the only way to do that is to stay centered on God!

We must take our eyes off the circumstances and how we want things to be and remember everything in life can be a learning opportunity if we allow it.

I love this Webster 1828 definition:

perseverance: continuance in a state of grace to a state of glory.

When we are walking in God's grace we are more likely to give Him glory. But we can't be walking in His grace with our eyes on the ground, or on the circumstances or the rearview mirror, or on ourself.

God will only get the glory if we keep Him in the center minute by minute.

RESOURCES:
The Rule of Saint Benedict by Saint Benedict, Edited by Timothy Fry, O.S.B.
Twelve Steps to Inner Freedom: Humility Revisited by Joan D. Chittister**
The Twelve Steps of Humility and Pride by Bernard of Clairvaux
Living in the Truth: Saint Benedict's Teaching on Humility by Michael Casey

Image credit: designerkrim / 123RF Stock Photo

The 12 Principles of Recovery :: SPIRITUALITY ~ Love God and Others

MY RECOVERY WORK THIS YEAR IS FOCUSED ON THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE 12 STEPS, ASKING KEY QUESTIONS THAT WILL HELP TO LEARN THESE CORE VALUES AND PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE. 

STEP 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

PRINCIPLE 3: Spirituality

KEY QUESTION: Am I love-able to God and others?

In the resource I am using for this study (listed below) Dr. Patrick Carnes discusses the common elements most spiritual traditions include. Whether to ourself or others each of these areas require acts of love.

• Sharing Pain: our pain connects us to the pain of others.

• Serving others: go outside normal comfort zone and help another person.

• Joining forces: in times of weakness reach out for help.

• Making a leap: Even through difficulties keep going forward.

The answer to our key question shows up in how we are processing these steps walking out love. 

Am I afraid to share my pain with others? 

Am I stepping out of my comfortable circle of friends and helping someone new? 

Am I too proud to ask for help when I'm feeling weak? 

Am I making progress each day, even if it is a baby step?

Over the last year God brought me a new girl friend. Someone with whom I've been able to process many of these areas with. I'm good at serving but not the best at reaching out for help when struggling. This is the area I need to work on most.  

It always comes back to loving myself as God does!

RESOURCES:
A Gentle Path through the Twelve Principles: Living the Values Behind the Steps by Patrick Carnes **

A Monk in the World :: CONVERSION of LIFE

IN A MONK IN THE WORLD WE ARE LEARNING THE TEACHINGS AND PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN MONASTICISM AND HOW WE CAN APPLY THEM TO OUR LIVES OUTSIDE THE MONASTERY WALLS. 

Last month we learned the first of three primary Benedictine vows: Obedience. Second in our study is Conversatio Morum often translated: Conversion of Life. 

By this vow the monk recognizes that he is not yet fully the person God created him to be, that he is on the way to knowing himself as one loved and created in the divine image whose call is to be as Christ in the world but who has not yet arrived.                                                                              ~ Elizabeth Canham**

Most of my life I have been resistant to change; change in lifestyles, living situations, jobs, etc... Not until my late 40's was I able to embrace change with joy, seeing the change as a God given adventure with a purpose for my benefit. 

Saint Benedict, writing to his monks in 6th century Italy, encourages them to embrace change and growth, to be transformed by the Spirit inwardly and outwardly.

As Christians we are called to continued spiritual growth. The vow of Conversion builds on this calling us to root out our vices and faults; to cultivate virtue and contemplation; to repent from worldly sin, and apply a lifelong process of discipline and spiritual formation.

With conversion we concentrate on the kind of person we want to become remembering there are no instant conversions. This is a lifelong marathon not a daily sprint. Not focusing so much on what must be removed but by adding in new healthier habits the negative ones will naturally fall away.

In this season of Lent what better time to embrace the Conversion of Life?

RESOURCES:

St. Benedicts Toolbox: The Nuts and Bolts of Everyday Benedictine Living by Jane Tomaine **
Monk Habits for Everyday People: Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants by Dennis Okholm
How to be a Monastic and Not Leave your Day Job by Br. Benet Tvedten

Spirituality for Everyday Living: An Adaptation of the Rule of St. Benedict by Brian C. Taylor

The Path of Life by Cyprian Smith, OSB
The Rule of Saint Benedict edited by Timothy Fry, O.S.B.

Benedictine Monachism: Studies in Benedictine Life and Rule by Edward Cuthbert Butler

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The 12 Steps of Humility :: ACCEPT SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

EACH MONTH IN THE 12 STEPS OF HUMILITY WE ARE CLIMBING SAINT BENEDICT'S LADDER OF HUMILITY.  WITH EACH RUNG WE COME CLOSER TO THE PERFECT LOVE OF GOD.

The ladder is our life on earth, if we humble our hearts God will raise it to heaven. ~ St Benedict

The first two rungs on Saint Benedict's ladder of humility help us find our place in the universe. The next brings us to spiritual adulthood by opening ourselves obediently to the wisdom of others.

Step 3 of Humility: Imitating the Lord Jesus a person should submit to their superior in all obedience.

To begin our spiritual growth process we must first find a mentor / teacher and then be willing to accept direction from them. God graciously puts someone in my life to guide me. It is up to me to recognize their authority and to be teachable! 

Thinking we know it all usually land us face first in the dirt!  If we would have started in that position to begin with, humbly accepting direction, we could have saved ourselves embarrassment.

Growing up depends on learning from others. And learning from others depends on humility, being willing to submit this false sense of unlimited power to the experience and vision and penetrating heart of another. ~ Joan Chittister **

By practicing the First Step of Humility: Recognizing God's Presence  and the Second Step of Humility: Accepting God's will  it becomes easier to submit to the authority of a mentor or teacher that has been placed on our life path.

Ultimately it's up to us to listen, accept direction, and value the insights of others. We must see our teachers, whoever they might be, young or old, as the voice of God speaking to us!

RESOURCES: 

The Rule of Saint Benedict by Saint Benedict, Edited by Timothy Fry, O.S.B.
Twelve Steps to Inner Freedom: Humility Revisited by Joan D. Chittister**
The Twelve Steps of Humility and Pride by Bernard of Clairvaux
Living in the Truth: Saint Benedict's Teaching on Humility by Michael Casey

Image credit: rolffimages / 123RF Stock Photo

A Monk in the World ::OBEDIENCE

IN A MONK IN THE WORLD WE ARE LEARNING THE TEACHINGS AND PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN MONASTICISM AND HOW WE CAN APPLY THEM TO OUR LIVES OUTSIDE THE MONASTERY WALLS. TODAY WE'RE FOCUSING ON the vow of Obedience.

Closely linked to Step 2 of Humility is the discipline of obedience.  In the Benedictine monastic community the members profess three vows: obedience, stability and a life of on-going conversion. Implicit in these are the evangelical vows of chastity and poverty.

Obedience… is not one of our favorite words. Most of us like to think we don't have to follow all the rules. Some would even say rules are made to be broken. But the truth is most rules are made to protect us from something. 

The root word of obedience is a Latin word for listen. When we want someone to obey us we are really asking them to listen to us. Thinking in this way obedience doesn't seem so harsh. Isn't this all God is asking of us? That we listen to Him? After all, He has our best interest in mind when He asks us to do something. 

In the book of Romans the Apostle Paul says obedience comes from faith, (1:5) faith comes from hearing God's Word (10:17) and that we are mutually encouraged by each other's faith (1:12). Which leads us to our next point.

In the spirit of Benedictine obedience, I should practice "mutual obedience"  obeying not only those in authority over me but also my fellow brothers and sisters. This fosters harmony in our communities and households. When we see others as the voice of God we will be better listeners.

Obedience is not what we expect from others, it is what we do ourselves for others… Obedience says: Set aside what you are doing. Focus your attention on the person before you to discern what God is asking you to do.  (St. Benedict's Toolbox)**

Our response to obedience must be joyful and spontaneous. More than the action itself, what matters is the attitude of our heart. When we respond without grumbling, replacing competitiveness with consideration we can live a life of obedience as Saint Benedict teaches in his Rule.

If you can't see the screen below CLICK HERE for a beautiful worship song by Chris Tomlin.

RESOURCES:

**St. Benedicts Toolbox: The Nuts and Bolts of Everyday Benedictine Living by Jane Tomaine
Monk Habits for Everyday People: Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants by Dennis Okholm
How to be a Monastic and Not Leave your Day Job by Br. Benet Tvedten

Celebrate Discipline :: CELEBRATION

IN OUR CELEBRATE DISCIPLINE COLUMN EACH MONTH WE ARE LEARNING A NEW SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, HOW TO APPLY IT AND HOPEFULLY GROW INTO THE PEOPLE GOD WANTS US TO BE.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: habits that nurture spiritual growth; exercises unto godliness.

CELEBRATION: actions that turn our spirit toward worship, praise and thanksgiving.

It seems odd to think of Celebration as a Spiritual Discipline. But if it weren't for Celebration and the joy that feeds it our spiritual life would be drudgery. The Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength so that means if we don't find time to celebrate we will run out of energy to function.

During the holiday seasons it is difficult for many to join in the spirit of celebration. Cloudy days and my husband's demanding work schedule leave me sad and lonely much of the time. I am having to make a decision to find joy in the midst of these oppressive feelings.

The best thing that helps me is to put on some worship music, to search the Internet for an uplifting music video. I sometimes even get up and dance along. That's sure to change my mood!

If you can't see the video screen below Click Here for a beautiful example of Celebration and Worship!

Image credit: djem / 123RF Stock Photo

Celebrate Discipline :: GRATITUDE

IN OUR CELEBRATE DISCIPLINE COLUMN EACH MONTH WE ARE LEARNING A NEW SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, HOW TO APPLY IT AND HOPEFULLY GROW INTO THE PEOPLE GOD WANTS US TO BE.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: habits that nurture spiritual growth; exercises unto godliness.

GRATITUDE: a thankful and loving response toward God for His presence with us and goodness to us;  joy in our heart in response to someone for who they are or something they have done.

For years we've heard the saying, "Have and attitude of gratitude." But I've come to learn that being grateful is more than an attitude. It's a practice. You can have an attitude about something without acting on it. Not until we begin practicing gratitude consistently will we see real change in our lives.

How can we practice gratitude?

• Gratitude starts first with a change of heart. Only when look beyond ourselves and see the good around us, in other people, in nature, in our pets, can we begin to walk in gratitude each day.
• For me keeping a gratitude journal has been helpful. Taking a few moments before bed to reflect on the good things of the day. I'm not as faithful to it as I'd like to be. But at least I'm making the effort to start.
• Making a conscious decision to thank others. So many times we get lazy and overlook the kindness of people around us. You will make someone else's day better by noticing them.

Gratitude enhances satisfaction and balances greed and entitlement. And is so lacking in today. It starts with us. We must make the effort, to take the first step. It can change our world!

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

If you can't see the video screen below CLICK HERE and let your gratefulness overflow into blessings all around you!

RESOURCES:
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Image credit: robwilson39 / 123RF Stock Photo

Celebrate Discipline :: WORSHIP

IN OUR CELEBRATE DISCIPLINE COLUMN EACH MONTH WE ARE LEARNING A NEW SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, HOW TO APPLY IT AND HOPEFULLY GROW INTO THE PEOPLE GOD WANTS US TO BE.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: habits that nurture spiritual growth; exercises unto godliness.

WORSHIP: a response to God's love as the Holy Spirit touches our human spirit.

It may seem odd to look at worship as a Spiritual Discipline. But if you have ever been so angry you could explode or struggling with an ailing body... think about being in the midst of these situations and still able to worship God. That takes Spiritual Discipline. 

Though worship is usually associated with religion, there are people who aren't religious that have a type of worship. Worship is often revealed by the people or things we value most; money, power, possessions, substances, etc... 

Where do we turn when we're coming undone at the end of a bad day?

There are many styles of worship: liturgical, charismatic, traditional, and contemporary. Because the New Testament doesn't specify rules and forms of worship, no one style is better than another. The most important thing to consider is our heart motivations before, during and after. 

Before beginning a time of worship we must be sure we are in right relationships with family, friends, and God. If we go into worship angry that will block our ability to give and receive love, which is the primary purpose of worship. 

The quality of our worship comes from the focus of our heart. We mustn't look at another person and compare styles of worship. God wants my very best, not my interpretation of someone else's very best. 

The heart of worship is to seek God and love Him in our own personal way. 

Take some time to evaluate your type or style of worship. Is it all you want it to be? You can lay face down on the floor or dance around the room. Whatever you do that shows God how much you love Him is what He wants from you.

God is Spirit and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. ~John 4:24

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

What does worship mean to you? How do you like to worship?

If you can't see the video screen below click here for one of my favorite worship songs. 

RESOURCES:

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney


Photo credit: designpics / 123RF Stock Photo

Celebrate Discipline :: CONFESSION

IN OUR CELEBRATE DISCIPLINE COLUMN EACH MONTH WE ARE LEARNING A NEW SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, HOW TO APPLY IT AND HOPEFULLY GROW INTO THE PEOPLE GOD WANTS US TO BE.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: habits that nurture spiritual growth; exercises unto godliness.

CONFESSION: an admission of misdeeds or faults to God or another person.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. ~ Psalm 139:23-24

Since God desires to give and forgive, He has put in place the process of redemption which started at the Cross and was confirmed with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is because of Christ's holy work and through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can make our confession and know that forgiveness is possible.

The Spiritual Discipline of Confession is a difficult one for us because we often choose to see our community as one full of saints rather than a fellowship of sinners. All the more reason for confession to be a priority in our lives. When we are able to help someone struggling with their lives it helps us to know we aren't alone in our struggle with sin. If I am left alone in the confession of my sin, I stay in the dark. It is in the light of mutual confession that healing power is released and lives are transformed.

In some Christian traditions there are formal printed confessions spoken as a congregation or to a confessor. There are many advantages to this method.

1. No more excuses or blaming. We confess that we have sinned by our own fault. 
2. Forgiveness is expected and given. With words from a brother or sister our forgiveness is sealed by the Holy Spirit.
3. Remorse is experienced. We use this time to consider the seriousness of our sin against God.

Confession journalling is another avenue to consider. As we go about our daily lives we can process our various sin struggles in a diary or journal. This can be a sweet time of self-examination with the Lord at the end of the day.

The most common view of confession is that spoken to another person. But before we run off and start sharing our deep dark secrets we must take care to find the proper person. Key qualifications we should look for are: spiritual maturity, compassion, wisdom and the ability to keep a confidence. 

Having found a confidant there are three things we must check before we begin.

1. Our conscience ~  We invite God to show us where we need healing and forgiveness.
2. Our sorrow ~ We are taking our confession seriously because we know we have offended God.
3. Our desire to sin ~ We ask God to help us live holy lives from this point forward.

The Spiritual Discipline of Confession breaks all pretenses over our life. We are now free to walk in our God given grace and forgiveness with the hope of making a difference in the lives of those around us.

"Honesty leads to confession, and confession leads to change." ~ Richard Foster

If you can't see the video screen below CLICK HERE for a beautiful song to meditate on.

RESOURCES:

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Celebrate Discipline :: SERVICE

IN OUR CELEBRATE DISCIPLINE COLUMN EACH MONTH WE ARE LEARNING A NEW SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, HOW TO APPLY IT AND HOPEFULLY GROW INTO THE PEOPLE GOD WANTS US TO BE.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: habits that nurture spiritual growth; exercises unto godliness.

SERVICE:  offering resources, influence and expertise for care and protection of others.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " ~ Matthew 22:37-39

The Christian discipline of service is the way we can share God's love with the world. We are the mouth, hands and feet of Christ in our world today. Unless we see the needs of our friends and neighbors as real and as important as our own we will never really be serving others. 

True service requires checking our motives. 

Are our efforts all in our own human strength?  

Are we trying to impress someone?  

Are we looking for an external reward?

Service is rooted in seeing others the way God does. It requires us to put on our Jesus glasses. In service we experience the little deaths that come when we move beyond ourselves into the shoes of another.

The Discipline of Service is worked into our lives with the grace of humility:

• Hidden, anonymous, maybe even secret.
• An act of submission allowing other to serve us.
• Simple acts of common courtesy.
• Practicing ungrudging hospitality.
• Being a listening ear.
• Sharing the Life of God's Word.

Because service is one of my primary Love Languages it comes easier for me than some other things. The main thing I have to remember is to keep my motives pure and serve as unto the Lord. That prevents bitterness from taking root. 

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Where do you like to serve? What can you do different this week?

If you can't see the video screen below CLICK HERE to watch an inspirational video.



RESOURCES:
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Spiritual Discipline Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
The Spirit of The Disciplines by Dallas Willard



Photo credit: valeriylebedev / 123RF Stock Photo

Celebrate Discipline :: SUBMISSION

IN OUR CELEBRATE DISCIPLINE COLUMN EACH MONTH WE ARE LEARNING A NEW SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, HOW TO APPLY IT AND HOPEFULLY GROW INTO THE PEOPLE GOD WANTS US TO BE.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: habits that nurture spiritual growth; exercises unto godliness.

SUBMISSION : aligning my will and freedom with God's will and freedom; submitting to others in love and reverence for Christ.

"Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship." ~ Romans 12:1

The Discipline of Submission has been abused by our culture and by religion. When we make the Discipline the goal it puts the wrong emphasis on it. The Disciplines themselves are a means to an end. They themselves are not the goal. Their value is the means God uses to give us the freedom we seek.

The freedom that corresponds with the Spiritual Discipline of Submission is the ability to lay down the burden of always getting our own way. It helps when we realize that the world won't end if we don't get what we want. It may be painful today, but life does go on. It's up to me to trust that what God wants is far better for me than what I want.


In Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster we see Submission functions in several ways:

1. The first act of submission is to the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. We are to yield our mind, body and spirit for His purpose; living each day in an attitude of surrender.
2. The second act of submission is to God's Word. As we submit ourselves to Holy Scripture we look to the Holy Spirit for interpretation and application to our life.
3. The third act of submission is to our family. With a submissive heart family members graciously make allowances for each other, listen and share as required.
4. The fourth act of submission is to our neighbors. By performing small acts of kindness, sharing food or tools, caring for children, we are acting with a submissive heart. 
5. The fifth act of submission is to the Christian community. Just as in our family and our neighborhood, we are called to serve the members of the body of Christ. Serving poor, the sick, or simply working in nursery can all be acts of submission.
6. The sixth act of submission is to the despised and broken in our world. Like Mother Teresa and others before her we must find ways to identify with those who are rejected.
7. The seventh act of submission is to our world at large. We don't live in isolation. Our environmental responsibility affects people around the world and generations to come. We must live daily with the future in mind.

While these six areas of submission are all vital, the primary one I'm focusing on is the first. I believe when we yield our mind, body and spirit to God the others will fall in place. 

There's no doubt that submitting ourselves to God is the most difficult of all. For me it is a daily, sometimes moment by moment, challenge. But as we keep Christ front and center of our Spiritual Disciplines we will be drawn closer to his heart and He will make the rest possible.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: What experiences with submission have you had?

If you can't see the screen below CLICK HERE to watch this week's music video by Aaron Shust.


RESOURCES: 

Celebrate Discipline by Richard Foster
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
So You Want To Be Like Christ by Charles Swindoll
The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard



Photo credit: designpics / 123RF Stock Photo

Celebrate Discipline :: SILENCE and SOLITUDE

In our Celebrate Discipline column each month we are learning a new Spiritual Discipline, how to apply it and hopefully grow into the people God wants us to be.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES: habits that nurture spiritual growth; exercises unto godliness.

SILENCE: removing sound (noise, music, words) from our life so spiritual goals can be pursued.

SOLITUDE: complete aloneness in order to receive guidance and oneness from God.

Of all the Spiritual Disciplines I believe silence and solitude are the most difficult for us to achieve today. We are surrounded every waking moment with distraction to the point of numbness.

There were many years of my life when I couldn't bear to be alone or in silence. I did everything in my power to stay busy, distracted with the television, radio, people or activities (usually unhealthy ones). 

The reason I couldn't stand to be alone or silent was because I didn't like myself. Not only that, I couldn't stand the voices in my head. And later I didn't want to hear the convictions from God to change my life. It wasn't until I began my recovery journey that I learned how to enjoy silence and solitude. Today that is what I prefer. I rarely turn on the television or listen to anything in the car.

I have found such freedom in silence and solitude.

If we are going to put these spiritual disciplines into practice it is going to take a serious commitment; an intentional plan with specific goals in mind. Here are some ideas:

• If you're new to these disciplines I encourage you to start small. Choose a short period of time, maybe 10 minutes, set a timer to help alleviate distraction. Then just sit alone in the silence. It might feel awkward at first. But soon the silence and solitude will be your friend.
• Choose an activity or chore, do it in silence with an attitude of worship to God.
• My favorite is to take a walk with no music or phone conversations. It allows me to enjoy God's creation in a much fuller way.

These are just a few suggestions. You can find much more in the resources I have listed below the music video. 

If you haven't before, I strongly encourage you to dive into silence and solitude. There is so much to be gained there. They are invaluable and help us with other disciplines and areas of spiritual growth.

If you can't see the video below CLICK HERE to watch an excellent video that will help us slow down.

RESOURCES:

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
So, You Want to Be Like Christ by Charles Swindoll
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney
Spiritual Discipling Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun


Photo Courtesy www.123rf.com