15. The fruit of my spiritual disciplines comes from the Spirit.

(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.) 

WHAT THINGS DO YOU WORK AT IN WHICH YOUR EFFORTS DO NOT DIRECTLY DETERMINE THE OUTCOME: E.G., GROWING A GARDEN, RAISING CHILDREN, TEACHING OTHERS, BRUSHING YOUR TEETH?

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT LIFE, ABOUT YOURSELF THROUGH THESE SITUATIONS?

OUR WORLD IS ATTRACTED TO PROCESSES IN WHICH THE OUTCOME CAN BE CONTROLLED AND DETERMINED BY OUR EFFORTS: E.G., PREPARING FOOD, PURCHASING THINGS, ETC. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS SO?

One of the dangers of practicing spiritual disciplines is when we begin to believe or act as though our efforts are what change and shapes us. We start to think that we have control over ourselves and that we can achieve a desired outcome through disciplines. To think that we are masters of our own fate and fitness is to believe a lie and to potentially fall into a destructive belief that we do not need God.

The truth is that, though our efforts in our spiritual disciplines are essential, it is the Spirit who does the work of transformation. The metaphor of a gardener is helpful here. The gardener may prepare the soil, plant the seeds, water them, train the plants, remove the weeds around the plants, but there is nothing the gardener does that actually makes the plants grow and bear fruit.

That part of the process is a mystery that only God understands and brings about. So too with our spiritual disciplines: we practice our disciplines to put ourselves in a place where God can bring about growth and fruit. Just like the gardener, our efforts are important, but we must always remember that it is the Spirit who creates the growth.