I sat in on our
pastor’s new members class Sunday, and Pastor Randy mentioned several
disciplines that growing Christians should have. They include “Prayer,
Faithfulness in Church, Scripture Reading and Memorization, Journaling, Fasting
and Tithing.” It put me in mind of the many who have listed various
characteristics or “disciplines” of growing Christians.
J.I. Packer’s
book Rediscovering Holinesss (2000)
summarizes various authors’ lists of disciplines, beginning with Richard Foster
who popularized such lists in his book Celebration
of Discipline (1978). In addition to the ones Randy listed, Foster included
the disciplines of “Solitude, Submission, Service, Confession and Guidance”.
Elisabeth Elliot’s list in Discipline:
The Glad Surrender (1982) included “Body, Mind, Place (honoring others), Time,
Possessions, Work, and Feelings.” R. Kent Hughes wrote Disciplines of a Godly Man (1991) added “Purity, Marriage,
Fatherhood, Friendship, Mind, Devotion, Integrity, Tongue, Work, Perseverance,
Leadership, Witness, and Ministry”. Donald Whitney in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (1991) added “Scripture
Meditation, Application, Evangelism, Stewardship, and Learning.”
No list is
definitive. Several added to, left off or duplicated disciplines of other
authors. Pastor Randy invited the class to list other disciplines to add to
their own list. On my Discipleship Card, my essentials are “Daily in the Bible,
Pray for Partners, Honored Family, Moral Purity, Witnessing, Physical Fitness, Tithe
on Increase.”
What about you?
Do you have a list of “essential disciplines” for yourself? Now, of course we are saved by grace and not
by works, so don’t be legalistic. But we are saved for good works (Eph. 2:10),
so as disciples, we should discipline ourselves.
