Now perhaps you’re thinking: I understand now that such matters were central to Christ’s life, but why is it then that I don’t hear more about spiritual disciplines in church and see them lived out and recommended much by other Christians?
Surely there are many angles to the answer of this question. Here I will offer only three, but I do believe any one of these three is ample answer on its own.
We humans tend to imitate what is rather than create anew. We readily mimic or copy what is around us, acting like chameleons seeking to blend into our surroundings. Rather than begin a fresh quest for fire, we tend to do only what those around us do for we do not like to be different or to even go against the flow. This holds true for every aspect of life, including (especially?) our faith. And so, if these disciplines are not already commonly practiced by those with whom we associate in faith, we surely would not expect them to show themselves often, if at all.
We humans, Christian or otherwise, tend to take the easy way out with things. Given the choice between doing easy things and doing hard things, the vast majority of us gravitate toward the path of least resistance. Whether through busyness or laziness, we tend to avoid things that challenge, and if these disciplines do anything, they seriously challenge us. Consequently, while we may wish to enjoy the benefits such disciplines offer, precious few of us will invest ourselves in the venture. G.K. Chesterton said it well: “Christianity has not so much been tried and found wanting, as it has been found difficult and left untried.”
Conviction, intention, and motivation certainly come into play as well. How many truly have faith at the center of their being as opposed to something more like wearing religion like a piece of clothing? William Law in his classic work A Serious Call to Devout and Holy Life pointedly put it this way: “If you will stop here and ask yourself why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you that it is neither through ignorance nor inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it.” Ouch! That stings because we know in our heart of hearts he’s right. Spiritual disciplines, however, can only survive in an environment of deep, abiding conviction and intention. If their practice is not common among us believers, such says more about our believing than it does anything else.
And so, the complete and/or prolonged absence of spiritual disciplines among those who claim Christ as their Lord and Savior is no argument against their validity or benefit. Being practiced by our Lord Jesus, if they are absent or rare, then the testimony is clear that His disciples have much yet to learn of, and experience in, Him.
