“COFFEE MUGS”

When I was a kid, I played basketball in my backyard. I imagined leading my team to the NBA Finals and hitting the game-winning shot. My dad and I bonded watching golf, the Carolina Panthers, and UNC Tar Heels. 

In high school, I played varsity basketball. Today, I still get too competitive with spikeball, volleyball, 3-on-3, or whatever else my friends and I are playing. Sports have always been a big part of my life.

PASSION AND TRAINING

Athletics begin with passion. A kid watches the SuperBowl and dreams of being the star quarterback. But success is more than dreams. To thrive, passion must lead to training.

At first, training is drudgery, drills, pain, and frustration. Athletes work hard to close the gap between their reality and their potential. But as they mature, training becomes a joy. The process becomes as thrilling as the result.

Success is more than dreams. To thrive, passion must lead to training.

Most Christians want to mature as followers of Jesus. But many of us don’t know how to start.

If we want to grow, we must combine passion and training. The passion portions of our faith are fun – a moment during worship or a message that speaks to our hearts. But often, we shy away from training. 

TWO EXTREMES

On Days 3 and 4, we’ve discovered two misconceptions about God – Genie God and Boss God.

Those who view God as a Genie lazily meander on the journey with Jesus. “I don’t need to do anything, because God will love me no matter what,” they say. 

Neither Boss God nor Genie God lead us toward the life Christ invites us into.

Those who view God as a Boss attack with white-knuckled willpower. They try really hard and give it their best effort. Some achieve, but many burn out. Even those who succeed become more prideful than Christlike. 

Sadly, neither Boss God nor Genie God lead us toward the life Christ invites us into.

A BETTER WAY

John Ortberg says that “Spiritual Transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but of training wisely.”

We train wisely by following our rabbi, Jesus.

In his book “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”, John Mark Comer writes “Jesus’ life rhythms, or the details of his lifestyle, have come to be called ‘the spiritual disciplines’… I prefer to call them ‘the practices of Jesus’… These habits, practices, or spiritual disciplines are how we follow Jesus. How we adopt his lifestyle. How we create space for emotional health and spiritual life… They are how we open our minds and bodies to a power far beyond our own and effect change.”

“Spiritual Transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but of training wisely.” -John Ortberg

As we adopt Jesus’ life rhythms, our lives (both inward and outward) will begin to look more like his.

(By the way, I learned much of what I know about the practices of Jesus from John Mark Comer. This chapter and many others will be heavily influenced by him.)

THE PRACTICES OF JESUS

Most people don’t get excited about Spiritual Disciplines (from here on out, we’ll call them the Practices of Jesus). The term conjures fear of legalism, drudgery, monasteries, and long white robes. 

This could not be further from the truth.

Jesus’ lifestyle does not add to our burdens. He lifts them and leads us toward rest for our souls.

In Matthew, Jesus extends one of his most gracious requests. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV).

Jesus’ lifestyle does not add to our burdens. He lifts them and leads us toward rest for our souls.

COFFEE MUGS

Think of the Practices of Jesus like coffee mugs. (My wife, Katie, and I love coffee. We’re also slightly obsessed with coffee mugs from different cities).

Although mugs are fun to have around, they aren’t of the utmost importance. They’re merely containers for the goodness of coffee. Because coffee is a liquid, it would be impossible to hold or drink it without a container. The mug, however cool it may be, is a means to an end.

Think of the Practices of Jesus like coffee mugs.

The Practices of Jesus are like this. Our end goal is experiencing life with Jesus. God is infinite. We are human. God is sovereign. We are not. He has generously given us the Practices to interact with him. They are the “mugs” to hold and connect with his grace. 

Each week during our North Star journey, we will learn one practice that followers of Jesus have been using for thousands of years to walk closer to God.

OUR FIRST PRACTICE

Today, we will start with a simple practice: Solitude. 

This practice (like the others we will study) is drawn from the life of Jesus. He habitually withdrew to lonely places to spend time in silence with his Father. In the gospels, we learn that Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer (Luke 5:16 NLT). 

Our idols of success, accomplishment, entertainment, pleasure, and validation are repelled by Solitude. 

Solitude is intentional time in the quiet to be alone with God. When we practice solitude, we obey God’s invitation to be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10 ESV). 

There are few practices more necessary, yet more challenging, to our modern, Western souls. Our idols of success, accomplishment, entertainment, pleasure, and validation are repelled by Solitude. 

As we practice, we will learn to hear God’s voice more clearly and increase our awareness of His presence and peace.

HOW TO PRACTICE SOLITUDE

Over the next week, we will implement a practice of Solitude to spend time in God’s Presence. Here’s how to practice:

1. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Set your phone on Airplane Mode and move it outside your reach.
2. Open your Bible and a journal. Choose one verse to focus on during your time of prayer. This can be the “Verse of the Day” from YouVersion, a scripture from Psalms (Psalm 23, 27, and 46 are great places to start). Write the verse at the top of your journal. Click here for a list of verses to use when practicing Solitude.
3. For the next ten minutes, slowly breathe in and out, and set your mind on that verse.
4. When (not if) you get distracted, gently direct your mind back to the scripture. 

The goal of Solitude is to learn to abide in Jesus. We aren’t accomplishing an activity, we’re learning to enjoy God’s presence. We breathe in, breathe out, and God restores our soul in the green pastures and still waters of unhurried time with Him. 

NEXT STEPS

1: Read Matthew 11:28-30. Write down one thing that you learned.
2: Practice Solitude for 10 minutes. Use Matthew 11:28-30 as your prompt for Day 1. Click here for a list of verses to use while practicing Solitude.
3: Text one friend one thing that you learned. 

Congrats on finishing Week 1! Next Week: Week 2, Day 1 – “A Brief History of With God”