It's training myself to be a godly servant of Jesus. It is not legalism or a work performed solely in my own power, bit it is getting rid of what holds me back (Heb. 12:1) and training myself to be a godly servant of our Lord (1 Tim. 4:7-8).
It is important because I will never become what I was meant to be if I do not put in the discipline to become the person God desires of me. When He created me, He desired for me to be a godly person. He wanted to have a vibrant relationship with me, and without this relationship and without me striving to be that person I was meant to be I will never be truly satisfied in life. I will never achieve the level of satisfaction that God intended me for, and I will not be fulfilled. Because a truly fulfilling life is one that pleases Him for made me for relationship with Him and for good works.
2. What usually gets in the way of spiritual discipline?
Sin, in a nutshell, gets in the way of spiritual discipline. We all have a natural bent toward sinning and this is what keep us distant from God and from seeking Him.
3. What can a lack of spiritual discipline do to your life?
It would cause and does cause me to not grow in my faith as I should, and it may even cause me to decline in my faith. Which in turn means that those who look up to me do not grow as they should and could decline. Also, God is grieved, saddened, and very disappointed because I am lazy and do not care about the life He has made and intended for me.
4. Reflect upon 1 Tim. 4:7-8. What is the literal meaning of "train" here?
"Train" in this context means to put off anything that would hinder myself. Then I am to put forth extreme effort to achieve a goal. To put in some "spiritual sweat" is the basic idea.
5. Practically, step by step, what does this mean I should do?
Anything in my life that distracts or makes me lose my determination for godliness, should be gotten rid of or avoided if at all possible. I should put the majority of my effort each day into this training and not into some other less fruitful endeavor.
6. What does Heb. 12:1 say about this? What things are holding me back in my walk with God? Why am I hanging on to them?
Some of my choices in entertainment are the things which may be holding me back. The types of movies that I watch, the TV shows, the choice of music, and even books are all things that have held be back at some point from pursuing godliness. The content has not been glorifying to God and has lead me to other pursuits that, while are not sinful in themselves, they do take up far too much of my time and keep me from being devoted to God in all areas of my life. Is the music that you listen to up-lifting? Or does it convey a message that makes you drift further away from the God who loves you? Do the books that you read have dominant themes that cater to self-gratification, which tends to focus our thoughts on ourself instead of others or our God? Do the movies that your watch glorify violence or destruction of human beings? This is surely not something that glorifies God. Do the TV shows that you watch have sexual themes that are substitutes for God's grand and wonderful design for sex? These are all things that we need to be aware could be holding us back from being spiritually disciplined and glorifying to God. Each thing that we choose to entertain ourselves has to be evaluated by what type of effect it will have on us. Does it interfere with our pursuit of godliness? Often the main reason why we hold on to these things is because we are selfish. We want to have entertainment that is exhilarating, entertainment that moves us and touch all the areas that makes us human. We need to put off our selfish desires. We can still have entertainment that moves us and touches our facets of humanity, but we still need to be discriminating in which ones we choose. It comes down to our level of maturity. By this, I do not mean that we can see, read, or listen to anything we want if we are mature enough. But rather, if we are mature, we will choose wisely what we see, read, and listen to.
7. Is there a cost to spiritual discipline? Check out 1 Cor. 9:25-27. What could greater discipline cost you? Are you prepared to pay the price? Why or why not?
The main cost is giving up time and comforts. This is my greatest cost. It might be different for someone else. And each person has to take account of what they need to give up. But for me, time and comforts are what I see myself giving up. Still, what I gain far outweighs the cost. Paul says in this passage in 1 Corinthians that I will gains a crown that will last for eternity. Greater energy will cost more time, energy, and comfort. But the pay off in the end is far, far greater than the cost. I am prepared to pay the price! Are you?! The reward is a life that is fulfilling in every way because God designed you and made you for this, and you get to enjoy this life for all eternity with Him. It's hard to describe this life any more than this because the true joy is in experiencing it!
8. Here is a great quote for you: "No manliness, no maturity! No discipline, no discipleship! No sweat, no sainthood!"
9. How is spiritual discipline different from legalism?
Legalism is self-focused (although those involved in legalism have often blinded themselves to their selfish motives) because the aim of it is to see what I can do to gain merit with God. Spiritual discipline has a very different focus. It is motivated by a love for God and a desire to please Him. Often the key to keeping a distance between these two is to have someone to keep us accountable and evaluate our lives to see our true motives.
10. Here is a question for you; one that only you can answer. Is a change needed to pursue godliness? If so, what can you do?
(these questions come from the first chapter of the book, Disciplines of a Godly Man, by R. Kent Hughes, 2001)
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