21. The effectiveness of my spiritual disciplines, voluntary and involuntary, depends on my attitude.

(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.) 

WHEN TRIALS COME TO YOU, WHAT IS YOUR MOST COMMON PRAYER TO GOD?

HOW DOES YOUR ATTITUDE AFFECT HOW DISCIPLINES WORK FOR YOU?

WHAT ATTITUDE DO YOU THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOU IN TIMES OF DISCIPLINE (EITHER VOLUNTARY OR INVOLUNTARY)?

There are many examples in life where our attitude is more important than our actions: teachers know that creating a positive learning environment is essential to their students’ learning, businesses see the benefit of positive attitude in the workplace, parents know that the attitude of the child is critical in developing maturity. These are just a few examples. In our growth as followers of Jesus, attitude will also be critical.

The posture we take as we engage in either voluntary or involuntary spiritual disciplines is critical to the benefit we will receive from them. Scripture often advises us about our attitude. For example, James 1 addresses several characteristics of the kind of posture we should take towards “trials and tribulations.” Though we may think that this only applies to the involuntary disciplines, even the disciplines we choose can sometimes feel like a trial or discomfort. First James says that “joy” is important.

To be joyful in adversity describes an overall posture that keeps us positive, hopeful, engaged, and forward-facing. Another posture James gives us is perseverance. Perseverance may be what we need when we struggle to be joyful, to stay engaged, to not give up, to keep going even when we feel we can’t. Next James tells us that wisdom is helpful when we are in a crisis or difficult situation.

Our ability to see clearly, to keep our priorities pure, to be able to step outside of ourselves and our situation and see the potential benefit in the situation is a gift and a quality that will be invaluable to us. It is noteworthy that James encourages us to ask God for this quality: it is that important! Not surprising, James next notes the importance of faith, or belief, particularly faith in God. Our faith is what brings God into our struggles and frees God to work for our good. Trying to be joyful, to persevere or even to be wise, without God’s help is futile. Finally, James teaches us the importance of humility.

We naturally want to be in charge of our lives, our bodies, and our environment, and to be able to release our need for control requires a humble posture that submits to whatever we are experiencing and learning. Some other qualities of a healthy approach to the disciplines of our lives would include “awareness,” the ability to see ourselves and our situation clearly, and “grace,” the capacity to give ourselves the freedom to not be perfect, to struggle, to fail, and yet keep working. Similar to grace are qualities like “compassion,” to be able to care for ourselves and others, to ache and know that it is OK, or “grief,” to be able to morn, to express sorrow, to say “it hurts” and not need to be “strong.”

Finally, perhaps the most important posture in seasons like this is to focus the eyes of our hearts on God. If our attention is constantly on our problems, we will make them bigger than they are; but if we place our attention on God, looking to Him for guidance, our trials become smaller. In times of discomfort, we may be drawn to prayer. It can be helpful to think about what we pray for. Do we ask God to “fix it” by taking away the discomfort? Or do we ask God to “fix me,” to help me persevere in the trial?

Maybe our prayer is simply to ask Jesus to “join me” and comfort me in the situation. Finally, we might pray that God would use this pain or suffering to draw us to him. In Philippians 3:10 Paul writes, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (NIV). Paul is saying that he desires to know, that is to experience, the power that Jesus’ resurrection brought to us, and to participate, to be joined to Christ, in His sufferings and to become the kind of person who faces suffering like Jesus did in His death.

We often imagine ourselves alone in our pain, thinking that no one else experiences what we do, but Jesus suffered, choosing voluntary disciplines for Himself and experiencing involuntary disciplines just as we may. When we suffer, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, we have an opportunity to create a deeper, more intimate, relationship with Jesus. Disciplines, pain, and suffering do not have to be negative, but our posture makes all the difference.