Personal Disciplines
No one can practice for you. No one can go to the gym, lift your weights, pick up your instrument, run your scales, focus your time, read your Bible, pray, control your tongue or do your diet, for you. No one can do what you know only you can do, whether in your artistic development, relationships or obedience to God. It requires discipline and discipline always involves a cost.
Saying "yes" to one thing always means saying "no" to something else. And it is the hope or vision of progress that can keep you choosing "yes." If you're undisciplined, ask yourself if you really believe in your vision. If you don't, what can you do to get a vision you believe in? What's stopping you from embracing the things you know only you can do?
"Without an adequate answer to the question, "Why?" the price is always too high." - Bob Biehl (consultant)
Here are some personal disciplines you most likely need to embrace for your growth.
Artistic/Musical:
- A regular, (daily?) set aside time to practice the fundamentals. This may include breathing and warm-up exercises, scales, various techniques, etc.
- Regular exercises which stretch your abilities. This may include assignments from a private teacher or class, challenging pieces, etc.
- Daily visit your short-term goals and vision - things that help to inspire your development.
Spiritual:What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. - A.W. Tozer
- A daily time to be with God - to listen and talk with Him.
- He talks to us primarily through the Bible! Don't compromise here - His word claims to be inspired. Read portions you understand and let yourself be challenged with other portions. (A good place to start is reading the gospel of John.)
- Talk to Him. Prayer is a gift He's given us and as a Christians we have access to His presence. This to is a journey of learning to bare our souls to Him with the assurance of His complete love and acceptance.
- Worship Him by faith - personally. As you grow in knowing who He really is and what He's really done you can't but be thankful and offer your life to Him. Worship is offering as much as we know of ourselves to as much as we know of Him. This too is an ongoing journey.
- Give yourself grace and don't give up. Spiritual growth is not easy and it is opposed everyday by our old nature (flesh), the world system, and Satanic forces. This time is not about making yourself acceptable to God - that's already happened through Christ. It's about standing firm in Christ and growing into His image and purpose for your life.
- Daily remind yourself of who God is and the gospel. Our life reflects what we what we truly believe. Again, this is opposed in our world, so we must fix our eyes on Him daily. (Hebrews 12:2)
- Following His will for your life. There's an old saying, "Only one life will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last." Sobering, but also envisioning.
