People: "What can I do to know God more?"
Me: "Spiritual Disciplines"
P: "What's that?"
M: "Spiritual disciplines are practices or disciplines that you put into place in your life that help you grow closer to God."
P: "That sounds cool, like what?"
"Well, some are things like praying, and fasting and..."
"Fasting, like going without food?"
"yeah, generally fasting would involve depriving yourself of something so that you can use your energy to focus on God for a time."
"I don't do that who depriving thing. What else you got?"
"Like I said praying and..."
"Oh, I pray."
"That's great, lets build on that some. Tell me about your prayer life."
"I pray before I eat."
"well, when I remember, and if it won't embarrass me."
"So have you ever set aside a little time each day just to pray?"
"I really don't have time to."
"what can I do to help you?"
"I'd really like to know how I can get closer to God, without having to do anything differently."
I have not had this conversation, but I have. I am teaching through Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster right now. It is a book that has brought great comfort to my life and has changed how I interact with God. However, I have a difficult time getting others to even try out a discipline. Even those who greatly want to know God more. These young adults express a great desire to not just know about God, but to know God, to experience God. These same adults in their 20's and 30's are so busy with life that, other than Sunday morning and the occasional Wednesday night, there is no place, or no space, for God.
How can we help them slow down?
How can we help this age prioritize God into their lives?
Have you done anything recently with this age group (my age group) that helped them grow spiritually?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
