5 Spiritual Rhythms to Consider in 2023
At the beginning of the week, I shared some super practical apps that help me manage my calendar and my life. And to be clear, I love all of them, BUT… if I don’t do the things that I’m going to talk about below my life will erupt in a different kind of chaos.
If you’ve ever listened to my podcast you’ve probably heard me say this, “If you aren’t dedicated to your disciplines you’ll be destroyed by your distractions.” God gave me that quote when I was studying Hebrews 12:11
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
I believe the Lord calls us to a life full of disciplines, and this year I want to challenge you to spend some time participating in the internal evaluation of your disciplines. Evaluate where you are in your spiritual disciplines, and maybe it’s time to pick up one or two that might just change everything.
Here are my top five, by no means an exhaustive list!
A band meeting. The Wesleyan practice of getting together for the confession of sins has been something I’ve participated in for over five years. Not only does it cleanse the soul, but it also forges a Christian community that most leaders struggle to achieve on their own. Here is a good article on how to get one started.
Sitting in silence. Okay, this one is of the most difficult for me, but also one of the most fruitful. I’ve grown to enjoy the struggle, and I know the Lord moves in silence. My brain is always so occupied with the order of the day, that sometimes I don’t have time to think about what God might want. Silence helps with that. I started with five minutes a day, but starting anywhere is a good thing.
One-on-one disciple making. If you’ve followed my work on disciple making you know that I am passionate about one on one disciple making for the purposes of creating relationships that are intentional, relational, missional, and reproducible. All of that is true… AND making one disciple will change your personal relationship with Jesus. There were times when I was pastoring full time when I didn’t feel like I was doing any actual ministry. Disciple making the way Jesus did (in life-on-life relationships) changes that. If you are brave enough to step out in faith with this practice, it will be one of the most difficult and rewarding tasks you’ve ever imagined. Here is a podcast that will take you through all of the steps to make disciples.
Get a counselor. Some of you might push back on if this is really a spiritual discipline, let me just say - my counselor is a big reason why I’m still in ministry. Having someone to process the heavy stuff with, talk about HR issues with, someone to help me determine if the issue is real or just something I am escalating in my own head. My counselor has become a huge part of my monthly rhythms. I go once a month, whether I “need” to or not. After a decade of doing it, I can assure you - 100% worth it.
Read Scripture for yourself. God’s Word is the bread of life. And while I am sure you are reading Scripture for church stuff, all of us must wrestle with the question: Am I reading God’s Word just for me? The posture of your heart towards Scripture will change everything. Carve out time for you and God’s Word - it never comes back void.
As I said, not an exhaustive list, some other things I wanted to mention; fasting, worship, life groups, communion, and repentance.
There are so many ways to commune with God, find what works for you and lean into what God has for you in 2023!!