The Wehrles

This is another article of mine that was published in the Cleveland Sentinel.

As you can imagine, my conversations with people often move toward the spiritual. I freely confess that this is often my own fault. After all, my passion in life is helping people along on their spiritual journey. One thing that I frequently hear in my conversations is, “my faith is a personal thing.” On any other day, I might argue that point. Today, suffice it to say, that I am tempted to agree. At the very least, faith is a personal responsibility.

Which leads me to ask, “What are you doing to develop your faith?” I am not talking about attending church on Sunday. That is a public event. I am talking about what you do when you are alone to develop your faith. Christians believe that keeping ourselves spiritually fit is just as important as keeping ourselves physically fit. Just as you need to be intentional about eating right, sleeping enough, getting exercise, etc., it is important to engage in personal spiritual disciplines that will keep you spiritually healthy.

If we take Jesus as an example, we know that he “often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” (Luke 5:16) Jesus also fasted privately. (Matthew 4:1) Jesus clearly kept himself acquainted with Scripture – he consistently quoted it throughout his earthly ministry. Doubtless you can identify other spiritual disciplines that Jesus practiced in order to keep in touch with God and stay spiritually healthy. Let me identify a few spiritual disciplines that you might incorporate in your own life:

Spiritual reading – For Christians, the Bible is the place to begin. You may have a devotional guide of some sort, or you may want to start with the Psalms of the gospel of Matthew. It does not matter how much you read. It matters that you read with a mind open to hearing from God. Use your mind. Where does your reading intersect with your own life? What meaning does it have for you personally? Find the phase or sentence that expresses that idea. Speak it. Write it on an index card and carry it with you for reference throughout the day. Jesus said, “People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

Prayer – Prayer is communication with God. Speaking this spiritual language, however, takes practice. As we learn from the youngest children as they acquire spoken language, listening is the first skill that needs to be developed in prayer. Listening to God begins with the Bible – appropriately called “God’s Word.” You may also hear from God in nature, in your conversation with others, in your circumstances, and sometimes even in your dreams. Take time to consider what God may be saying to you. How does that harmonize with what you have “heard” in your Spiritual reading? Once you have taken some time to listen, it is time to speak. I believe that God wants to hear from you – how you feel, what you think you need, your concerns for others, your apology, your thanks, your hopes and your hurts. Jesus encourages us, “When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly.” (Matthew 6:6)

Fasting – Fasting means “going without.” There are many things you can fast from, but I will deal with food here. You and I live with a complete abundance of food in a day and age when more than 25,000 people die every day from starvation. Certainly food is good and necessary for life, but we have made it more important than dependence upon God. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35) Going without food for a meal or for a day can be a great way to help us return again to a dependence upon God. Fasting can be an expression of sorrow for sin, an acknowledgement of our humility, spiritual preparation for requesting something important of God. Fasting also helps us to learn a word that our culture does not know well at all – “NO!” Saying “no” to food is excellent practice for times when we must say no to wrong or sin. Please be sure to consult a physician and be specific about what you intend before you engage in fasting.

These are just three personal disciplines that can help us to get into shape spiritually, and your spirituality is a personal responsibility. There are many more spiritual disciplines that you may find helpful including worship, self-examination, confession, spiritual direction, practicing hospitality, and developing a rule of life. Two great resources for learning more about spiritual disciplines:

Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life by Marjorie J. Thompson (Westminster 2005)
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster (Harper Collins 1998)

Now, go develop that personal faith of yours!!! And… God’s richest blessings to you!