2. The purpose of spiritual disciplines is to help me experience an abundant life.

(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.) 

IF YOU PRACTICE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES, WHAT ARE YOUR MOTIVES? WHY DO YOU PRACTICE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES?

HOW DO YOU IMAGINE THAT SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES SHOULD HELP YOU IN YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY?

IS THERE A PERSON WHO HAS HELPED YOU EXPERIENCE SOMETHING POSITIVE FROM YOUR SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES? WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT PERSON THAT WAS HELPFUL?

Why do we engage in spiritual disciplines? Our reasons for practicing spiritual disciplines will likely be varied. Not all of these reasons are necessarily good reasons. These reasons, good and not-so-good might include:

Someone in authority invited or instructed us to engage in a discipline. But Jesus told His disciples that they should have no authority other than Himself and that they should not take the place of His authority over others. There can be much damage to people when leaders abuse their authority and compel us to do things against our will or desire. On the other hand, a wise leader who gently and personally, helps us discover new ways of connecting with God can be a wonderful gift.

We have a sense of spiritual obligation to practice disciplines. But religious laws do not typically bring us a sense of abundance. More often they create a legalistic and burdensome system. Jesus says His burden is light. He simplifies the extensive laws and rules of the Old Testament by teaching us to “love God, love others, and love yourself”.

We may experience guilt, shame, or fear if we do not use disciplines. Guilt, shame, and fear are feelings that most often come from the enemy. Satan is happy to speak to us about spiritual disciplines but only in a manner that will rob us of the joy, peace, freedom, and abundance Jesus intended them to bring us.

We find that life is better when we practice disciplines. Spiritual disciplines are not just spiritual, they can be practical. Doing something kind for our enemy can help diffuse a potentially damaging conflict Giving to the poor can create a more stable society that keeps us from becoming the target of revolt. Fasting can help us manage the unhealthy impulses of our body.

We experience a feeling of goodness when we engage in spiritual disciplines. The goodness we experience from spiritual disciplines is a positive motive for practicing them. We may want to be aware, though, that working for a feeling can become unhealthy and self-centered. Over time, the feeling may leave and we will be left wondering what happened.

We notice that we become a better person from our disciplines. When spiritual disciplines work to form us into a better person, more like Jesus, we are experiencing what Jesus knew we needed to be able to live well on this earth. It has been said, “What you are left with at the end of your life is the person you have become”. This reflects the importance of practicing disciplines for the purpose of character formation. However, we can become overly focused on becoming a good person to the point that we miss the ultimate goal of spiritual disciplines, which is to be joined to Jesus in a friendship relationship.

We find that our disciplines bring us into a close friendship with Jesus. Jesus said that He came to provide us with an abundant life. Part of that abundance is the fellowship and love we experience in an authentic relationship with the Father, Jesus, and Spirit. Disciplines help us become the kind of person who experiences all that the Trinity longs for us to know experientially. The apostle Paul summarizes this in his letter to the Ephesians: I pray that out of his glorious riches he [the Father] may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (3:16-19 NIV) The primary purpose for spiritual disciplines is to facilitate a deeper relationship with Jesus.