Spiritual Discipline

I've been thinking a lot about different spiritual disciplines and about challenging my own faith - about growing deeper with my Lord and what that would look like. There's two things I've come up with recently that I've been "challenging" myself to be disciplined in and inviting anyone around me to join in as well.

This one is from one of my morning readings and caught my attention

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. (Colossians 3:16)

In reading the writings of almost all great leaders, especially when discovering their own devotional practices, singing is recommended in one's private walk just as readily as it is an essential part of corporate worship. I always keep at least one hymnal at my place of devotion, and enjoy gaining inspiration from reading lyrics whether I sing them or not.

Alongside your hymnal, consider using your Bible as a source for singing in your private time with Jesus...Father God will receive any "new song" as a "sweet, sweet sound in His ear." (Pastors of Promise)

That one's pretty easy for me since I'm fairly musically oriented anyway. I just figure it's time to take it up a notch, if you know what I mean.

This one is a bit harder though. It's about developing a heart of gratitude in all things and at all times. I've been seriously convicted lately about my attitude about things and making sure that I'm living a thankful life. So, one of the things I started doing last week, as an already avid journaler, is to write down at least one thing that I'm thankful for from the day, a highlight of the day, every day. They can be big or little. For example, one day last week, I wrote that one of my highlights was giggles with my cabin - it was a seriously ridiculous evening and so much fun! - while another day, the highlight was hearing that one of our campers had received Christ. I don't want to give away all of my camp stories yet so I'm going to make up some examples. It could be a good sunrise, a silent moment with a cup of tea, a good movie, fun friends, getting to share Christ's love in a significant way. I am choosing to take joy in the good things of life.

I want to challenge my friends and family around me to join me in this. I believe we will find that by our discipline, we will find a bit more of the abundant life that God promises His kids.