The Power of Spiritual Habit

If you tell me what your habits are I can tell you what your life will be like in a few years.  I can't predict the future and I have no idea what events will happen in your life, yet I can predict with accuracy who you will be by what you habitually do.

• If you save a certain amount of money each month for retirement, you will have financial peace in the future.

• If you exercise in a practical manner and on a consistent basis you will have lower stress, a healthier heart and body.

• If you visit with a counselor, read a few good books, journal and learn to communicate your feelings, you will have a stable emotional life and some strong relationships.

The things we do now that seem mundane develop who we are and our experiences in the future.  So if I may meddle a little, what will your spiritual life look like in the future?

Do I know God, or KNOW God?

I heard the story about a traveling Shakespearean actor.  Every summer he would perform as a one-man show reciting classics with skill and a dramatic flair.  The actor was gifted at his craft and audiences grew and grew as the summer went on.  Each evening he would conclude his performance by a dramatic rendering of the Twenty-Third Psalm.  His enunciation was perfect, his emphasis on certain phrases exquisite.  Without fail, when the actor was finished with reciting the Psalm, the entire crowd would stand to their feet with a thundershower applause.
     One evening when he was about to introduce the Twenty-Third Psalm, a hand shot up from the audience.  The hand belonged to a young lady, a teenager really. She humbly asked if she might have a try at reciting this Psalm.  The audience was quite large this night and for a moment the actor hesitated, not wanting to give up the stage.  He was take off-guard a bit and read the crowd as wanting to hear from the young girl.  What could it hurt he thought to himself, an amateur would only make his performance that much more powerful the next evening.
     The young lady made her way up to the stage, stumbling on the top stair.  She regained her balance and turned to the crowd.  She cleared her throat and started to speak.  When she finished reciting the Twenty-Third Psalm there was no sound, no applause, no standing ovation.  All that could be heard was the weeping of a crowd that did not have a dry eye.

To the astonishment of the actor the crowd stood and left in silence.  
     He ran up to the young lady and asked her what she had done to move the crowd, had she trained somewhere, did she have experience an acting tutor?  He had to know....
She kindly and quietly responded, "Sir you certainly know the Twenty-Third Psalm, I however know the Shepherd."

The LORD Is My Shepherd - A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23 ESV)

Amen!

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How to Move from Spiritual Distraction to Focus

Do you ever feel distracted, divided, a little anxious about life? Recently during a time of self-reflection I noticed a growing sense of unrest.   

After a bit of thinking and praying I self-diagnosed my problem (I do have my Doctorate in Spiritual Formation so this is the one area I can be useful in).  

I try to read through the bible each year (By the way there is a guy in my church that has done this for over 50 years and only not made it 3 times #myhero).   I found myself more excited about getting through the ‘assignment for the day’ and accomplishing something than I was absorbing and learning from what I was reading.  After each ‘bible reading session’ I would feel a sense of accomplishment for a moment, yet a growing unrest would stick with me through the day.  

The Myth of Balancing Life

I often hear people say they need a more balanced life.  I can remember being a freshman at Baylor University and being introduced to the 'Welcome Week Wheel.'  It was simply a circle divided into four sections each representing a portion of ones life:  physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual.  The idea was to keep these sections in mind as you were in college, making sure to tend to each section of life because if one was neglected it would affect ever other area of life.  Stephen Covey's 7-Habits uses this basic idea when it encourages us to 'sharpen the saw' and tend to these aspects of our inner-life.  Balance was never the goal, merely tending to each section was the goal.

I am not arguing or dismissing any attempt to grow personally, I simply think that being balanced will never happen.  Life does not work like a scale, life is too dynamic and there are too many things we encounter that we cannot control.  The take away - just keep tending to your life, you are important.  Don't make balance or a zen-like state your goal, make continual improvement your goal.  When we do this perfectionism and its adverse affects on our lives ceases to have impact on us and we are free to be.  The way the human life works is when we improve one area of our life, if it is true development, the other areas of our life will improve.  This is why you emotionally feel better after a workout.

One of the reasons I love 'life-coaching' is that it is focused on incremental development.  Grab a coach today and start to tend to you...you matter.

The Only Cure for Hurry Sickness

You bet Hurry Sickness is a disease.  According to dictionary.com hurry sickness is:

Noun - a behavior pattern characterized by continual rushing and anxiousness; an overwhelming and continual sense of urgency

Hurry sickness is not reserved for 'type A' hard-driving personalities. In fact even the calmest and most mild mannered around us may be infected with this disease.

In her February 2015 Fortune Magazine article, Ann Fisher highlights the symptoms of hurry sickness.

You might have hurry sickness if...

• you consistently eat lunch at your desk while checking emails and returning phone calls.

• you are usually doing something else while on conference calls.
• you are compelled to do something else while brushing your teeth.
• you view multitasking as a badge of honor.
• you have a habit of interrupting someone who is talking
• you find yourself getting frustrated in the checkout line
• you get frustrated in traffic - even when you are going the speed limit.
• when microwaving something for 30 seconds and you have the urge to find something else to do while you wait.
• you repeatedly pushing the close door button on the elevator (they are usually not even connected...they are what is called a mechanical placebo)

A Confession of Reality and Possibility

This post comes as a bit of a confession.  A confession of pride which has led to me lose my way and then gratefully learning that has helped me find it again.

About a year ago at the church where I serve as pastor I realized that due to the perfect storm of changing demographics, natural attrition and changing church attendance trends I was going to have to make some HUGE changes.  After 18 years of being a full-time minster I was going to have to become bi-vocational.  In the church world this is a new trend where churches cannot support a full-time salary but need trained staff to continue their work.  To some this is a 'step-down' in professional stature and to be honest that has been the largest hurdle for me to overcome (hence the confession).

Our church has a great deal to offer our community so when I initiated this conversation with our Board it was with the belief that we were not throwing in the white flag of surrender, but regrouping and reorganizing so we can serve our community for many, many more years.  The reality of loosing almost 1/3 of your income is that you lose 1/3 of your income.  Panic ensues, frustration follows and then the eyes open as the initial shock wears off and you begin to think about possibilities.  It takes a little effort and time, but when you start thinking about potential and possibilities the life juices begin to flow again.  Most ministers would start looking for another full-time church, yet that did not seem to be where God was/is leading me and my family.  I have had to start allowing possibility thinking to drive my thinking and it is quite refreshing!

Three things I have found out about possibility thinking

1.  It forced me to develop systems to become more efficient.  To be honest, when you have been doing the same thing in the same way for a while it is east to get into a rut where creativity and innovation are non-existent.  When I cut my hours at church I was forced to take a new look at how I planned sermons, captured ideas, communicated with colleagues and developed programs.  I spent some time researching how other people accomplish a lot with limited time and had to develop my own system of productivity.  This new reality of multiple jobs forced me into a personal development renovation and at 47 this has created a massive amount of energy and creativity.  The possibilities are endless.

2.  I had to uncover skills I did not know I had.  I realized quickly that with my limited time and energy I had to ask for help and learn to develop teams.  I am a introvert who loves to do things individually and I no longer can afford this 'luxury.'  In order to survive I have to work with others, learn from others, depend on others and develop others, I am becoming a team developing wizard.  With new roles (see next point) I have also begun learning new technologies, Office 365, Slack, Yammer & Sway are all becoming real tools and skills I am cultivating. The possibilities are endless

3.  I discovered new opportunities.  I have always loved the idea of consulting and organisational development.  When I knew the reality of going bi-vocational  was upon me, I began looking for outside opportunities to consult.  Through some friends I was connected with a non-profit charity, Friends For Life in Waco, TX who needed the use of my skills.  This short-term consult has turned into a long term relationship where I have an opportunity to feed my consulting skills, a flexible work schedule and am serving a great cause.  I am developing an HR program, a comprehensive marketing program, planning staff training, facilitating office communication, working on strategy, interviewing, dealing with conflict among many other things.  The possibilities are endless.

I would have never imagined or considered this opportunity had I not been 'forced' to by my circumstances  I also have been given the opportunity to coach and organize the lacrosse program at a local private high school this Spring.  This is yet another opportunity that stemmed from having to think outside the normal flow of my life.  What possibilities, relationships, areas of service will this opportunity open up?  The possibilities are endless.

I can honestly say that I am preaching better sermons, leading more effectively and connecting with people in a more authentic ways since I have started working bi-vocationally.  Our church is developing new programs and the members are embracing their new role as ministers.  Instead of being distracted from 'church-work' I am more engaged with church, with my job and with my relationships.  I am no longer ashamed of being bi-vocational, I am engaged with the world.   The possibilities are endless.

I found this to be very helpful during a difficult day.  Hope you enjoy!

Discovering God's Peace - Get out of a Spiritual Rut this Week!

Living a peaceful and centered life is a by-product of our actions and our relationship with God. God promises us peace, it is available to us, it is a gift waiting on the counter for us to open. How much we enjoy peace and 'centeredness' is up to us to a large degree (I think defining centeredness will be in an upcoming post because as I write this my spell checker is telling me this is not a word, but I think it is).

Our experiencing peace is a much larger issue than simply feeling good and at one with the world. As followers of Jesus we have a God given responsibility to be both salt and light to those people around us; what great metaphors for giving flavor and direction to the world. In order to flavor others lives and help direct people to God who can offer real help to those around us, we have to be experiencing life with God. 

AS the old adage states, you can't give someone directions to a place you have never been before (this saying may only work if we imagine ourselves without smartphones).

[13] “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
[14] “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (Matthew 5:13-14 ESV)
I have learned a few things over the years when it comes to spiritual growth and the main thing is realizing that there is no perfect way to grow spiritually. In fact if we look for a perfect method, we will never get started. The best place to begin is where we are, and right now. You don't need a great devotional, or leather bound journal to begin to develop a peaceful life. A Bible, an open heart and a dialogue with God are the only tools you need to get started. If you read and pray a Psalm, one Proverb, maybe a paragraph or story from John and write down a few things to pray for you will be on your way into the depths of knowing God. It really is this simple.

The things that will help greatly in growing spiritually and experiencing more of God's peace in our lives:

• Consistency - creating a habit of showing up to spend time with God is very important. Even when if feels as if nothing is happening in our life, there is no substitute for consistent time in growing a relationship with God. Having a consistent time, place and routine allows for spiritual growth to happen. 
• Christ Centered - the difference between Eastern meditation and Christian meditation is that Eastern meditation tries to empty our mind and soul. Christian meditation and prayer attempts to fill the soul with the giver of life. Jesus described himself as the way, the truth and the life (John 14.16). I have lived on empty long enough to know it does not work and I have realized I can not find any good and sustainable answers in myself. Filling my spirit up with Jesus' nourishment is a much more attractive option. Reading the gospels, paying special attention to what Jesus said is nourishment to the soul in and of itself. 
• Biblical grounding - God's word has all the information we need to grow spiritually, to know God, to thrive and develop a peaceful life. Don't get me wrong, I love to read and always have 3-4 books going at one time, many that focus on spiritual growth. But don't let anyone fool you, all we need is the Bible. Dallas Willard suggested we all become 'Word worms.' Use the Bible for the foundation of your spiritual growth and you will grow. 
• Reflection - I have a bad habit of rushing through my Bible reading so I can get through and onto my other tasks. Rushing produces stress. In order to absorb God's word and receive its full nourishment, pausing and thinking about, praying about, writing down key insights is important. Taking time to reflect on our attitudes, mistakes, failures in light of what God says will always help us live more peaceful. Some have called this journaling, I have an Evernote file where I type in my thoughts, cut and paste Scripture or important quotes and even store photos of significant events. This helps me stop and reflect on my life. Whatever method you may have, being able to take what is going on in our life and pause to process it is important. 
• Silence - Prayer is more listening to God than speaking with God. However being silent before God is excruciatingly difficult. I have found that silence before God has a powerful determination in how much peace I experience. My old pastor and mentor Burt Burleson (currently the BU Chaplain - Sic 'em) suggested a technique I call Silent 7's. When having trouble focusing in silence before God, simply breathe deeply and count 7 breaths. When you get to 7 start over again at one. I am sure there are some important reasons why 7, I don't know them (I was distracted when Burt was explaining this) but this works! Give it a try and let me know if this works for you. 

 An interesting computer app - pray-as-you-go this app is about a 15 minute guided prayer time in the Ignatian Spiritual tradition. There is a song usually by monks, a gospel reading and time to pray and think about what was read. Everyone needs to hear some monks from time to time! 

Listening to the bible - The past year I have been listening through the Bible being read each morning. I was in a bit of a spiritual rut and needed something different, so each morning I grab my java, plug in my headphones, settle into my recliner and rest into God's word.

Two good books (other than the Bible) to get you going. Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence and Enjoying the Presence of God by Jan Johnson.

The key to spiritual growth is to lay down imperfection and get started. Don't let imperfection to keep you from experiencing God's great love and mercy! I pray you experience God's peace and grace as you enter the adventure of life with God. Please let me know how I might encourage you in your spiritual journey.

Why Pray Written Prayers?

For years I have used prayers written by others to nourish my soul and spur on my prayer life.  I come from a tradition where praying extemporaneously or off the cuff was emphasized and even considered as more spiritual than reading prepared or written prayers.  I have come to see the benefit of using prepared or written prayers both in public and private settings.  As a minister, when I have taken time to write out the prayers I share in public, they are much fuller and richer than when I just let it rip and pray without preparation.

Don't get me wrong I fully believe in people praying without a 'script' or plan, however for the purpose of this post, I am going to share a few benefits to using other peoples prayer in our personal devotional life.

What does impress both the unsaved and saved alike are those rare individuals who have learned to control their lifestyles and use the abundance they have to help others and spread God's Word. ... Let me propose a radical idea from God's Word: Determine God's best for your life, and be satisfied with it, even if it means moving down in lifestyle.

Larry Burkett

U2's "40" (lyrics) - A Song of Thanksgiving

This was a good way to start my day.  Hope you enjoy!

Change

I was in a meeting yesterday with a man well into his 80's.  I have known him for several years and he is as good and as wise as they make.  He told a story about his dad who said, 'Change is life, however God is constant.'  It was one of those phrases from someone with credibility that quiets the entire room.

Change has happened, is happening and will happen.  Every day we face changing careers, health situation, family dynamics, educational opportunities, just to name a few areas of change.  We can't manage change, we can only respond to it and deal with change.

It is good to know that God does not change, God's goodness and mercy, God's loving-kindness and strength are always constant.  God's care for us human beings, God's care for us as individuals, God's grace will never change.

I am very glad to enter this day of change, grounded in a relationship with God who does not change.  Knowing this allows me hope as I read the verse found in Philippians 1.6, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

The unchagning changer has us in mind.  Pretty cool thought for this changing Monday afternoon.

Faith and Trust

For a followers of Christ, developing faith and trust in God are key elements of spiritual growth. The problem is that faith and trust in God develop when times are difficult, when trials are present, when discomfort remains. Faith and trust are like muscles, and muscles only develop when we work out and stress them to their limit. Are you being stressed to your limit? Are you unable to see how things are going to work out? Seems as if this is a great time to work out faith and trust. (Read Psalm 46, or better yet memorize it. It is a great faith workout).

Why?

The other day my kids were laughing hysterically at a YouTube video of a preacher saying 'why' in a heavy southern accent over and over. Guess what they have been doing since they watched the video? Yep, repeating 'why' in that thick accent over and over. I started thinking about this and for whatever reason have began to ask this question about most every thing in my life. No obnoxiously as my kids, but to myself in a spirit of evaluation. Why am I preparing this way? Why am I working out this way? Why do I respond the same way when she asks that? Why?

Why is a powerful question because it forces me to evaluate to give a reason to create an explanation. Why forces change, or it solidifies a decision. Why does not demand change, it simply demands an explanation.

Start asking why and you might find more productivity, a deepening relationship, a new start or a healthier life. Why? Why? Why?

Why The Preacher is Involved in Lacrosse Coaching

I pastor a small but vibrant church in Fort Worth, Texas.  We are in a very diverse community and to be honest our church is in a tremendous stage of transition.  I think many churches are in the same boat: a neighborhood that has changed demographically and trying to figure out how to serve this new reality.  When I came to my current place of service, I was committed to the long haul, begin here until God moves me.  That is not just preacher talk for being here until a better deal comes along.  Other opportunities have come along and I have said no to them.  I am serious about the call I have received from God deal.  On my taxes I am 'self-employed' but I view this as being employed by God. Only God (or a church that is mad at me) can move my employment.  Don't get scared if you are not a church person, it is not as mystical as you might think.  This however is not a post about my real-job but a post about my involvement in something very different, a local youth lacrosse organization.

Lacrosse is relatively new to Texas, I played while growing up in Virginia and a little in clubs while in College. Lacrosse is growing like gangbusters in Texas, because there are great athletes, great weather and a lot of people moving into Texas from the North East (where lacrosse is very established).

A couple of years ago I found out that my dad had played on a National Co-Championship Lacrosse team while he was at West Point.  A fact he failed to tell me when I was picking football as my sport and a fact that I often let him now know would have changed my life if I had known this when I was choosing college (I would have pursued lacrosse instead of football).   My son and I were watching the NCAA Championship lacrosse game and he turned to me and said, 'I would love to play lacrosse.'  It was a great timing for me; I needed something to be involved in outside of church.  Pastoring a church is all consuming and you can burn out very quickly, so with the OK from my wife we started the Fort Worth Youth Lacrosse Association.  There are 5 benefits to my 'real-job' that I have experienced from my connection with this program.

1. Connect with Community - through my volunteering with the lacrosse program I have met literally hundreds of people, many who do not go to church.  One of the dangers of working in a church is that you become isolated among church people.  My time at FWYLA has allowed me to have meaningful conversations with people who have no interest in church what-so-ever.  They are usually very surprised to find out that I am a pastor.  However, so far they have been pleasantly surprised.  A few of them, especially the kids have said, ‘Hey, you are pretty cool for a priest.'  They may not come to my church (although I wish they would/and a few have attended) but if I can help them see ministers as normal and approachable, maybe they will go to a church with a new perspective.


2. A distraction - I was at a preacher meeting a few years back, where a pastor, George Mason from Wilshire Baptist in Dallas suggested that every pastor needs a distraction.  Being a minister is one of the most stressful jobs in America...fact, end of discussion.  So George studies and follows the Texas Rangers.  He said he knew the players, their stats, their interests...it became his 'other thing' his distraction.  You may not realize this but ministers get criticized, talked about, called at night and early in the morning, on days off and holidays.  It comes with the territory and it gets very heavy at times.  Having a distraction eases the burden, so we can respond to the negatives with grace and peace.  A preacher having a distraction is essential for longevity in the ministry...mine is youth lacrosse.


3. A new cross-training platform for leadership - I have learned to develop a website for lacrosse, we needed a new site at church and were short on funds, and I put my new skills to work.  I watched a coaching video about leadership and mission; I implemented a new leadership structure that helped our church get healthier.  I had to tell a coach they could not work with the kids because of their actions, I learned the value of training and communicating expectations at church.  When you learn and grow in one area of your life you can implement those skills in other areas of your life...true leadership cross-training.


4. A place to practice my faith (intense) - Working with teenagers and their parents is a privilege and responsibility.  Many families on our teams are not followers of Jesus.  I am.  How I respond and react to them, especially in the intense moments of a game or a parent frustration, how I react to a referee or opposing coach is a great indication of where my spiritual life is.  Am I taking my Christian beliefs into every area of my life or only playing Christian in church.  One of the dangers of working in a church is that you can fake it and be nice church person on the church campus and jerk off church property.  I don't ever want to be fake and coaching kids is a great laboratory to put into action my Christian beliefs.


5. Time with kids - 'you only work on Sunday's' is a common misconception of Pastors.  Preparing a sermon for 50 or 1000 people takes about the same amount of time.  From start to finish roughly 15-20 hours.  Add in meetings, phone calls, interruptions at the office, planning sessions, visitation, small group bible studies...the list goes on, it all adds up to a very busy and full week.  One of the first things to go if you are not careful is time with your own kids.  One of the ways to schedule time with them is to coach their teams and be a part of their lives.  No matter what anyone says, no church member is going to raise your kids for you.  (Someone wiser than me told me that one day).  I coach my kids so I can have appointments with them and be involved in their lives.

What is your diversion?  How has it helped you as a pastor?  I would love to hear and learn from how you handle these issues.

A Morning Prayer

[23] Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! [24] And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24 ESV)

5 Surprising Benefits of Joining a Small Church

Many of my friends have left traditional, smaller churches.  I am talking about churches under 100 in Sunday morning attendance.  I have had the opposite migration.  I have been a minister and a member at both larger and small churches.  When I was a minister at a larger church I was arrogant and looked down my nose at smaller churches.  Now that I am a pastor at a small church I have had to work through being arrogant and looking up my nose at the larger churches that 'steal' our members and have youth ministry budgets larger than our entire church budget.

While I was on sabbatical last summer our family visited several larger churches and saw that they are doing a great work.  For a long time I had hidden my jealousy (since I pastor a small church) of larger churches through little criticisms about their programming and impersonal atmosphere.  I will admit I was wrong.  There are a lot of great churches that are large, in fact we sent our kids on a mission trip with a larger churches youth group and they treated wonderfully.


However, there are a lot of great small churches as well.  There are benefits to being a part of a small church that can only be found in a small church.

1. People get to know your name; everyone gets to know your name. You don't get as close to everyone in a small church, but you do feel like Norm coming into Cheers, everyone knows your name.  In our day of having so many social interactions online, it is nice to have multi-generations say hello to you by using your name each week.       Part of the deal in a small church is that most of these people really care about you and will be there if you need them.  You may have heard it said that if you find a perfect church don't join it because you will just mess it up.  Every church has its warts, yet in a small church those warts are overshadowed by loving and supportive relationships.

2.  The smaller church needs your support, there are a lot of places to serve and try out your gifts and interests.  Many small churches have a leadership void.  They also have multiple needs and places to serve.  If you are wanting to put your faith into action, a small church can offer immediate places to use your gifts, try out interests and push your leadership limits.   Smaller churches can have leadership structures that take a while to break into, but that is because the people want to know you before they welcome you into leadership.  But don't you want to know and trust people who lead you as well?

3.  Pot-lucks, need I say more.    Smaller churches love to get together for pot-lucks.  If you have never been to a church pot-luck you have missed something spectacular.  If you don't know what a pot-luck is it is too wonderful to try to explain.  In fact you need to find a friend who goes to a small church and tell them to invite you to their next pot-luck.  People bringing their favorite home-made recipes, nothing goes together, but everything is delicious.  At our church people are known for their dishes, one will bring authentic tamales, one will bring a home-made pound cake, one will bring broccoli salad...the result is synergism at its finest. (And as a pastor often I get to take home left-overs...God is good!)

4.  Cross generational interaction for your family.  One of my favorite times of the week is about 30 minutes prior to Sunday School when I sit with several of the men of our church and visit.  My youngest son, who is 11 often comes and sits down with us and visits as well.  These men vary in age (all are older than me), treat my son with respect and dignity allowing him into their conversation.  All three of my kids have grown up in small Sunday School classes where they had individual attention and instruction.  My oldest child spent a year with a wonderful woman his grandmother’s age and they studied the Bible together for an hour each Sunday.  He was in 6th grade and loved every minute of his time with her.  Opportunities such as this are the norm in smaller churches.

5.  They are not 'cool', but Jesus hangs out at small churches.  Small churches do not have glitz and glamour; they are not where the cool kids or families go on Sunday morning.  Movers and shakers rarely attend smaller churches, but Jesus does.  Jesus was from a small and insignificant town and that means something special to me.  A small church, with all its warts is a place where real people open their hearts to Jesus and share their lives with each other.

I am happy to say that even though we have been in large and small churches, our family continues to love our little church where we worship with people we know, connect with our fellow Christ followers in a very personal way and serve the individual needs of the community we live in.  I think being members of a small church is one of the best things that has ever happened to our family.

Not Glamorous, Glorious - Real Spiritual Growth

If growing spiritually is part of your plan for 2015 there are three things that have to be involved.  I usually do not use absolutes and I feel very comfortable living in the grey areas of life, but in my experience if you do not have these three activities as part of your spiritual growth plan your growth will be severely limited.  The key in each area is commitment, not legalistically participating in each activity as if to earn God's favor, but an honest attempt to engage with God through these activities to learn God's favor.

Before I unveil the three essentials to spiritual growth I have to make a couple of observations.

Spiritual growth takes time it is like a long stroll, not a sprint.  Like anything that takes time, growing spiritually will have its setbacks, it will have both success and frustrations.  One author termed spiritual growth 'a long walk in the same direction.'  Don't rush it, don't feel pressure to perform, and most importantly don't give up.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

One of the quotes that informed and challenged my journey...

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Wise, Foolish & Evil: And how to Deal with Each

Have you ever wondered why you can't get through to someone in your organization?  Or why your child simply does not listen to you?  Has someone harmed you or your business?  Knowing what type of person you are dealing with will help save you time and energy.  The book of Proverbs in the Bible is about as practical a book as you can read.  It is all about wisdom and how it applies to life. Proverbs highlights three types of people in the world:  Wise, Foolish and Evil.

I am assuming that you are wise for the simple fact you are reading this blog.  Wise people are not perfect, they are simply trying to learn, grow and develop.  The distinction of a wise person is that they are not happy where they are and they want to improve so that their lives improve. Wisdom is putting knowledge into action.  Most people in leadership positions can be counted wise.  Because if they are either foolish or evil they won't stay in leadership positions for very long.  I would go as far as to say, if you want to be a leader the pursuit of wisdom must be at the center of your personal development plan.