From Sunday School to the Sunday Service, the “good Christian” is exhorted to grow spiritually, to become more Christ-like in our everyday lives, but there’s this never-ending tension of wanting to be and not yet being — we despise ourselves when we fail; we loathe our lack of character and tell ourselves we need to try harder.
“The Life You’ve Always Wanted, spiritual disciplines for ordinary people” by John Ortberg attempts to illuminate another pathway to deeper spirituality. One that’s not about Trying but about Training. Now training might sound tiring and daunting, but in his book, Ortberg describes the difference like this:
There is an immense difference between training to do something and trying to do something… For much of my life, when I heard messages about following Jesus, I thought in terms of trying hard to be like him. So after hearing (or preaching, for that matter) a sermon on patience on Sunday, I would wake up Monday determined to be a more patient person. Have you ever tried to be patient with a three-year-old? I have — and it generally didn’t work any better than would my trying hard to run a marathon for which I had not trained. I would end up exhausted and defeated. Given the way we are prone to describe “following Jesus”, it’s a wonder anyone wants to do it at all.
Spiritual transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but of training wisely. This is what the apostle Paul means when he encourages his young protege Timothy to “train yourself in godliness.” This thought also likes behind his advice to the church at Corinth: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
Training is more forgiving. It’s for the long-haul. It’s not about trying our best to hit the spiritual bullseye daily. It’s focussing on doing a few things well, acknowledging we won’t get it right all the time, but with the passing of time, seeing the fruits and how we’ve grown to be more like the saviour. Ortberg goes on to prescribe practices like celebration (“God is the happiest being in the universe”), slowing, secrecy, reflection on scripture, etc.
To avoid turning these practices into some kind of dry, legalistic, list of things to do (or Try), he balances out his definition of these spiritual disciplines by adding that the disciplines are not a barometer of spirituality, not necessarily unpleasant, and not a way to earn favour with God. The Life You’ve Always Wanted is one of those books I’d want with me if I were stranded on an island. Get your copy, today.
