The Christian life is a journey, a pilgrimage, a race to be run. As such, we must exercise our bodies, minds, and spirits to contend with the terrain and the obstacles along the way. Spiritual discipline prepares the Christian for the unknown and the unforeseen. Paul encouraged his young protégé Timothy with these words: Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness (1 Timothy 4:7b, NASB). The Greek word for “discipline” (also translated as exercise or training) is gumnasa. It means to train, to exercise, or to discipline. We get our modern-day word, “gymnasium,” from this Greek word.

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The Bible commands all Christians to train themselves for the purpose of godliness. There is only one catalyst for transforming the Christian—the Holy Spirit. However, He uses three influences by which to accomplish such transformation: people, circumstances, and spiritual disciplines. We are all affected by the relationships we have with others, the events of our lives, and the preparations we make on a daily basis. The heart of spiritual discipline is training and preparation for the journey called life.

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This summer, we will take a brief survey of the various spiritual disciplines called out in the Word of God. This may seem overwhelming at first, but, again, most of these activities are to be woven into the daily routines of life; they’re not intended to be add-ons to our already busy schedules.