I hit “submit” and immediately regretted my decision. I had just filled out a form signing myself up to run a half-marathon. 13.1 miles of running torture that I had never before come close to putting my body through previously. At the time, I wasn’t much of a runner, but I wanted to become a runner. Almost immediately the reality of training fell upon my shoulders like a weight I hadn’t known before. The pressure was on!

The first thing I did was download a training guide. I had a vision for what I wanted to become (a runner), the intention of doing it (I signed up for the race), and now I needed to execute the practices for actually achieving my goal.

What if we started to view our development as people - specifically in the area of our spiritual lives - in the same way?

The Apostle Paul made quite the statement in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 regarding practice when he wrote, 

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Paul used the metaphor of an elite athlete when he wrote about his journey with Jesus. He claimed that he trained his body, he made it his slave - so that he could gain something greater in his relationship with Jesus. He trained in order to grow to become more like Jesus because he knew that it wasn’t going to happen by accident.

Paul makes a point that is often overlooked in our current evangelical culture - the body plays a significant role in spiritual formation. We are embodied beings and our body has a part to play in the kinds of people we become. We have habits, mental maps, routines - and all of those help shape us. I think many have a quasi-gnostic view of formation that suggests that the “real us” is solely soul; only spiritual. And yet, Paul pointed out that matter matters. You body is a part of the “real you” and it has a part to play in your formation as a whole human being.

To be clear, Paul wasn’t suggesting he could earn anything additional from God. No! Salvation is gift by grace alone (Ephesians 2:5-9). However, Paul is suggesting that there are ways we can posture our body and soul so as to cooperate with God’s grace more fully and respond to his work in our lives. There are things we can do to “stay in step with the Spirit” - that’s why it’s a command in the scriptures. 

There is no exhaustive list of spiritual practices. A spiritual practice is something we can do that empowers us to do something we cannot do through will power alone (I owe this point to Dallas Willard). Dallas Willard also wrote, “Spiritual practices are activities that open our lives to the action of God in our heart, mind, body, and soul, to progressively remake our whole personality.” Practices are where growing in the way of Jesus and the heart of Jesus gets exciting.

I think an example might be helpful. Let’s use the area of patience - something many of us long for but find elusive. Typically, if one wants to grow in the area of patience, they will simply try to be more patient. But that’s trying, not training. Training looks much different. Training might look like choosing the longest line at the grocery store and intentionally embracing a posture of patience. It might mean deciding to drive the speed limit - and not going above. There are a lot of ways to begin to train yourself to be more patient by opening yourself up to God’s grace that is already present and active in your life. 

I’d encourage you to choose an area you want to grow and then think of two practices you can embrace that can help you (re)train your soul to hear and respond to God’s grace. Here is a great list of some idea. And…here’s the deal; if a practice helps you, great, keep doing it! If not, ditch it and try something else. These should be creative, experiential, and experimental. Enjoy the journey of growing in the way of Jesus with the heart of Jesus!