Practicing the Ways of Jesus
There seems to be an unspoken weight or mystique around what many call the “spiritual disciplines” or the path toward spiritual formation. Theologians like to use the fancy term progressive sanctification in our fight against flesh and the world.
But often we tend to over-spiritualize the disciplines or steer toward a legalistic “to do” list that we presume balances our spiritual scales back in the direction of holiness. God must be keeping score somewhere, right? Or maybe we just put too much weight on the discipline itself over the object of the discipline.
The most profound and attractive invitation from Jesus was to simply “follow me.” Watch me. See me how I love others. Notice who I talk to and eat with and pray for. Pay attention to how I treat the least of these.
And then do as I do. Love as I love and have loved you.
Which takes practice. A lot of practice.
John Mark Comer has been an inspiration toward embracing these practices of Jesus, which feels like a better and more practical description than spiritual disciplines.
These 7 practices were designed for a men’s group to practice together over 14 weeks, but they can also be applied over 7 weeks or 7 months just as easily. And best of all, it does not matter how much experience or practice has been accumulated life to date to participate. Often those with the least practice time will grow and benefit the most from getting in the game.
–Jay Whitmer