Walking with the Spirit part 5
Cultivating the Fruit through Spiritual Discipline
We have been looking at the fruit of the Spirit in light of “walking with the Spirit,” and though we have talked about cultivating the fruit as we moved along, I wanted to focus on some specific ways we can cultivate the fruit in our lives this week. A few years ago we looked at the Goal of Faith, and at the end of that series we discussed spiritual disciplines as the means of growing in God’s Image. This week we will take a look at these disciplines from the standpoint of how they help us walk with the Spirit of God.
For the sake of clarity, I like to put the spiritual disciplines into three categories—Meeting with God, Serving with God, and Resting with God. In each case, the goal is to consider how we spend our time each day and how we can use our time to walk closer with the Spirit of God.
A Disciplined Life is a Free Life
Sometimes Christians can fall into one of two extremes when it comes to spiritual discipline—either legalistic oppression or libertine foolishness. In either extreme, the Christian falls victim to a form of sin and loses the freedom they have in Christ. For the legalist, they become enslaved to the guilt of past sin. They believe they must continue to atone for their sin, despite the fact Christ has already paid the price. For the libertine, they become enslaved to their feelings or desires. They quit following the disciplines in favor of some temporary pleasure or temporary problem. But true freedom is being able to continue our walk with the Lord without guilt and without our desires controlling our day. Instead,
The disciplines help us grow closer to the Lord and become the person we are designed by the Lord to be.
And so, let’s take a look at the disciplines, keeping in mind the idea of self-discipline. Just as Paul told Timothy,
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:7-8
The Spiritual Disciplines are the means of training ourselves for godliness and cultivating the fruit of the Spirit in our daily life.
Meeting with God
Prayer
The first discipline is the one we most often forget, and yet it is the one we most often need. We cannot expect to hear the voice of the Spirit in our lives if we don’t bother to spend time talking with Him. Jesus gave us the template for a healthy prayer life in Matthew 6.
And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 6:7-13
Pray with purpose knowing your Father knows your needs before you even ask. There is no need to go on and on with repetition or flowery nonsense. We can get to the point because He already knows your needs. The template then follows as:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”
Give praise for who God is.
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”
Seek God’s will, not your own.
“Give us this day our daily bread”
Focus on the day. Let God deal with tomorrow.
“And forgive us our debts”
Recognize your sin for what it is.
“As we also have forgiven our debtors”
Seek reconciliation, asking God to help you reconcile wherever possible.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Ask God to point you to righteousness, so temptation is less an option in your life.
Looking at each of these verses, you may notice the goal of prayer.
Primarily, prayer is for shifting our attitude and focus towards God and away from ourselves.
The Lord will supply all your needs, and if you are holding fast to this promise, then you can quit worrying about all the things you cannot control and start concerning yourself with what he is calling you to do today.
So, how can we can pray better in order to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit? The fruits themselves can help us with this. The desire to experience the love, joy, and peace of God should be a great motivator. How can you expect to experience these without having time with the Lord? Could you imagine trying to experience a loving marriage relationship, and the peace and joy that comes with fully trusting in your spouse, if you never actually talk to your spouse? Imagine telling your spouse, “Look, I spent time with you a whole hour on Sunday, how much more do you want from me this week?”
But perhaps, like all humans, our motivation is killed quickly by a hard day, or some temptation. That is where the other fruits come into play. Have patience with ourselves, or perhaps we need to have patience with the Lord because He has not answered as quickly as we’d like. We can stir one another up with kindness and goodness. But, I believe what is most important is to remember self-control. At some point, we have to exert the discipline necessary to prioritize our time with God. Prayer time doesn’t happen on accident. We must set aside time and make it a priority in our life.
A life of prayer is cultivated through self-control and self-discipline.
There is a story that circulates on the importance of prayer about Billy Graham. (I have no idea if it is true.) The story goes, one day the president wanted to get Billy Graham on the phone. Graham’s secretary told the president Mr. Graham would have to call him back because he is having his daily quiet time. Of course, the president argued that this call was very important, and the secretary said, “I realize the importance of the president calling, but he is having his prayer time.” After some time, Mr. Graham called the president back, and the president said, “I can’t believe you wouldn’t take my call. I need your counsel about something of national importance.” Graham replied, “If you want my counsel to be any useful for you, then you’ll want me to have spoken with God. Otherwise, you might only get my opinion instead of the Lord’s.”
Scripture Intake
I call it “Scripture Intake” instead of “bible reading” because it is not about reading the Bible like you might read a textbook or novel. We have to allow the Word of God to saturate our minds and hearts. The psalmist says it this way.
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Psalm 119:11 NIV
The more we read, memorize, and study the Word of God, the more we will avoid sinful desires and align our lives with God’s purpose for us. Paul describes it this way to Timothy,
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
We cannot match our lives to the standards and image of God if we do not understand the Scriptures.
So, how can we can study our Bibles better in order to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit?
First, actually take time to read it. Much like prayer, we have to make Bible reading a priority if we are to make it a part of our daily living. Right now, before you do anything else, pick a time of the day that you can devote to prayer and Bible reading. Is it in the morning when you first get up? “I’d have to get up sooner to do that.” Then set your alarm earlier. If you aren’t a morning person, is there time in the afternoon or perhaps the evening. Whatever time works best, mark that down and set an alarm. I will say the vast majority of Christians who have daily prayer and Bible reading time do so in the morning. There is something about starting the day in God’s Word that helps to set the stage for the rest of the day.
Second, take advantage of the people God has put in your life that can help you study the Bible. We have Sunday School prior to Worship just so that you can join with a smaller group of people who are seeking God’s will together. I also, periodically, offer a couple of classes during the week to help you study the Bible better. There are two options starting in September.
Third, find yourself an accountability partner. Sometimes it is helpful to have three people working together on this, but I wouldn’t get too many involved. This person is someone who you trust to tell you the truth and hold you accountable for prayer, reading the Bible, and asking you about your walk with Jesus. If you are married, your spouse is automatically one partner, but having a trusted friend hold you accountable is also a great idea.
Fourth, consider getting a devotional guide. There are many printed books that can help guide your reading, but there are also online tools and Bible reading plans available. Whatever tool you decide, it helps to have a systematic approach to your reading rather than just opening to some random place and reading.
Fasting
I used to joke about how Baptists are notoriously horrible at fasting, but in reality, I think most people today struggle with the idea of fasting in a biblical sense. We are not talking about skipping a meal or two for our health, but rather getting rid of distractions in our lives in order to hear from God. The difference between fasting and prayer is fasting is an extended amount of time removing an activity in order to devote that time to God. Traditionally, fasting is abstaining from food, and that is still a useful practice, but today, we can also consider fasting from online activity, games, or anything else that may not be sinful, but it is distracting.
The other problem people have with fasting is that it requires humility. It is possible to fast boastfully, but if we are giving up food or an activity for a season, the goal is not for people to pat us on the back. Jesus gives clear instruction about fasting in Matthew 6:16-18.
And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:16-18
“When you fast”—notice Jesus doesn’t say ‘if’. We are supposed to fast. The Early Christians were instructed to fast twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was part of their weekly rituals. But also, Jesus says to not look ‘gloomy’ like the hypocrites. People should not be aware of when we fast, because we aren’t trying to impress others with our spirituality. We are entreating God for something.
Perhaps the reason your prayers seem unanswered is because you are too distracted to hear God’s answer. But there is another reason for fasting.
Fasting reminds us the blessings God gives us are meant to be used to bless others, as well.
In Isaiah 58, Isaiah chastises the people for their outward fasts but fail to live out the Law. True fasting will “loose the bods of wickedness, undo the straps of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke.” It leads us to share food with the hungry, house the poor, and cover the naked.
Zechariah asks the Israelites if they actually fasted for God or for themselves. He reminds them of their rebelliousness in chapter 7 saying,
And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”
Zechariah 7:8-10
Prayer is a mental exercise, fasting is a physical exercise, but both are tools to draw our attention toward what God calls us. And that is the point of spiritual disciplines—drawing closer to God.
As we close today, take stock of your time this week. How many hours of your day are spent on things that aren’t going to make an eternal difference? Where could you shave off 20 minutes, or maybe even an hour, in order to devote that time to prayer, Bible study, and fasting?