Discipline is Good.

Well, here's a terrific book about the history, value, and heart behind those spiritual exercises that will help you grow spiritually. Dallas Willard writes with a heart for all that is beautiful, personal, and incarnational (Christ-in-us) about the Christian faith.

Yet another book I'm reading for my class in Denver in a few weeks. I picked this one, mostly because I've heard lots of great things about Dallas Willard, and haven't read much of his stuff. Some of the highlights - or most important thoughts I "downloaded" from this book....

- How churches have focused on the front end of the Great Commission ("Go and make disciples") and have not emphasized really a key part of discipleship, the back end of the Great Commission ("teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you."). Unfortunately, we may have a lot of people who believe Jesus, but aren't really much like Him in their character and lifestyle.

- Jesus himself practiced spiritual disciplines of fasting, prayer, solitude, retreat, Bible Study, servanthood.... Why do we think we can just "choose to act like Jesus" in certain moments in life when we really do not train ourselves to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7-8)? Jesus (and Paul, and Moses, and Joshua, and Peter, and the disciples, and....) entered a life of spiritual exercise, commitment, and discipline.

- Solitude has incredible value for spiritual life, prayer, and reflection. Our world (pace, noise, to-do lists) crowds out our ability to connect with God. We must go to "the desert" or to the "closet" and get private space with God apart from the noise.

- These spiritual exercises (or "disciplines") will look different in each person. There are tons to choose from, and we must work at the ones where we are weak.

- I was constanly challenged and impressed by this thought - the disciplines are those things that help me train my body, mind, and soul to belong first and foremost to God. Our culture trains us to do what feels good, and that lifestyle cannot deliver what it promises. Life in God delivers far greater than we think, but most of us have not tried to really live the Christian life.

Overall, this was a great book. Some thoughts and chapters were difficult to wade through, but well worth it. An interesting chapter on poverty is included, discussing if a life of poverty is a spiritual discipline. Some books you read for entertainment or because a friend recommended them. This one could powerfully enrich my life and faith. After I'm done with the class, I'd consider reading it again.