Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

This semester, I took Discipleship I and II through the Seminary Wives Institute (SWI) at Southern.  SWI is a program for wives of seminary students; there are numerous classes offered in order to help prepare the women for their role in ministry alongside their husband. 

I will admit that I was hesitant about taking classes through SWI because I did want the classes to be watered down in comparison to what Isaac was taking at Southern.  I didn't want to just be a wife taking these cake classes; I wanted to take the hard-core classes.  Basically, it was a pride issue; I knew lots of other women who were in seminary (either by themselves or with their husband), and I didn't want to be seen as less spiritual.  The Lord provided some major lessons in humility, and I realized that taking classes at seminary doesn't make someone more spiritual by any means.  And in the end, I wouldn't trade the group of ladies in my Discipleship class for anything.  I have learned a great deal from them throughout the semester, and it was very encouraging to be around other women in similar situations.  Truly, I am looking forward to continuing in the SWI program.

Discipleship is a required course for the program; we met in small groups, lead by faculty wives, each week to discuss the course material, go through the reading, and also enjoy good discussions (which were sometimes very spiritual and sometimes not so spiritual, but are always informative and interesting).  For this particular course, the required reading was Dr. Donald Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, one of the most well-known books on the topic of the disciplines.  Dr. Whitney is currently a professor at SBTS.

This book is one of the most challenging and convicting books you will ever encounter.  Whitney discusses ten different disciplines: Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, serving, stewardship, fasting, silence and solitude, journaling, and finally, learning.  He is sure to begin the book by discussing the purpose for practicing the disciplines: godliness.  Practice of the disciplines is not to lead us to legalistic tendencies, but rather to help us grow closer to the Lord and to grow to be more like Him.  While we may think that some of the disciplines are 'outdated', Whitney clearly makes the case for the establishment and practice of each and every discipline outlined.  Indeed, the chapter on fasting was one of the most interesting and convicting chapters.

What I really like about the book is the practical application.  Whitney does not just simply explain the disciplines and their historical roots, he discusses why they are important for believers to practice, the benefits of practicing them (as well as the consequences of not), and examples of how believers can incorporate the disciplines into their lives.  In addition, Whitney does not set forth an unattainable lofty goal; rather he encourages the reader to begin slowly, setting realistic and attainable goals in terms of beginning the disciplines in his or her life.

If you let it, this book could change your life.  I recommend getting your hands on it as quickly as possible and reading it.