I was in a webinar yesterday that was open to the public and which featured Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO. As you might imagine, the focus was on the Ukraine and Russia’s intentions on the eve of what might mean war. A catastrophic war. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Secretary General Stoltenberg is precisely the sort of leader that NATO needs as the West seeks to understand and confront this threat to the sovereignty of a fledging democracy. He understands what the common values of NATO countries are and why they need to be defended, if necessary, even by force if as a last resort.
At one point, the Secretary General referred to the term “best practice” in the context of negotiations or consensus building. Those of you with experience working in public and private sector organizations and businesses are likely familiar with the phrase. It’s a form of program evaluation wherein institutions or consortiums identify and emulate successful policies promulated by others to the exclusion of those policies that often fail or only provide marginal returns. For example, a business may specify as best practices the need to “engage workers and recognize effort” while also “encouraging and rewarding employees.” A university might have as their best practices “clear, articulated goals and objectives” and “limiting student debt.” And even though the term has only been around for thirty years or so, the concept and practice is nothing new.
I thought it might be worthwhile to consider the best practices that promote spiritual growth. These are secrets of success that we learn from the Scripture, that we can see in the lives of the apostles and saints, and that help us persevere and grow as Christians in these perilous times. Altogether, there are four best practices to consider: Praying regularly, reading your Bible daily, witnessing to the lost, and fellowshipping with other Christians. No doubt, someone might say “What about tithing?” or “Visiting the sick” or “Confessing your sins?” No doubt those are worthwhile if not vital activities. But though we might think of dozens of spiritual exercises and good works, they should all follow from the four fundamentals.
Praying regularly
When we pray, we speak to God. Our prayers should heartfelt and we should not do all of the talking. Prayers is a wonderful opportunity for God to speak to us, either by bringing to mind a certain Scripture passage, or the image of someone we know who might need prayer at the moment or the near future. But we must communicate regularly with the love of our life. Who among us would consider a relationship where neither significant other speaks to their loved one a healthy relationship? Who would want to be in such a relationship? We likely all know couples like this. God enjoys being told He is loved and special just as we do. He wants us to come to Him in faith even as children.
Prayer is also a time to confess your sins to your Heavenly Father and for self-reflection as well. If your faith is lacking at the moment, and you’ve lost the joy of your salvation, then be honest to God and ask Him to restore it. If your prayers seem like they are becoming mechanical, or you are burdened with sin, once again, discuss that with Him. You are having a frank conversation.
It you are new to prayer, a good place to start would be the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus, Himself, recited, though it is not a magical formula by any means. I heard a story once where there were some adults praying when a small girl around the age of 5 who was present asked if she could pray as well. When told that she could, she began: “Dear God, A, B, C, D, E, F, G . . . T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z. Amen.” When asked about why she chose to say that, the little girl replied: “I really didn’t know what to pray for, so I thought I’d give God all the letters so that He could choose the words for Himself.” I think God heard her prayer.
Reading your bible daily
When you fall in love, you want to learn as much as you can about the objet de voter affection. People are also interested about their origins, the future of our common human race, and the purpose of their life on this planet. The Holy Bible touches all of these bases and more.
As you learn about the Bible, you’ll learn that God frequently communicates with you through his Word. And, sometimes the Word answers your questions before you need to ask them. For example, I know from the Bible that I do not need to ask God whether I should share His love with others, because His word already tells me that I should.
The Word also has a certain, almost mystical power to convict people of their sins, and influence other people to do good. I’ve found that I can paraphrase the so-called Four Spiritual Laws in my own words, but they become much more effective when I rely on the verses, themselves. When you read your Bible regularly and even memorize important verses, you are slowly but surely beings transformed into the new creature that God intends for you to be.
Choose a version of the Bible that is easy for you to read and understand. If you are not sure where to begin, start with the Gospel of John. Don’t let people tell you that you have to use the King James version or that you cannot use the Revised Standard Version. Personally, while I’ve used the Authorized Version my entire life, I’ve recentlly switched to the New International Version and I have complete confidence in it.
Witnessing to the lost
Have you ever noticed how quickly some tweets or videos go viral? This is because when a person discovers something wonderful, they want to share it with their friends. If you hear that your school will close early today because of snow or that tomorrow’s exam will be postponed until next week, you would not keep that from your friends. It’s good news! And so is salvation.
People take courses in lifesaving or CPR not because they never plan to perform it, but because they want to use it to restore people to life. They want to save drowning victims or restart arrested hearts. It’s the same thing metaphorically as far as the Bible is concerned. The Word of God is like a defibrilator that can recharge a person–restore spiritually dead people to life. For people who are drowning in sin and despair, the Bible is capable of restoring them to health as well. But they need intervention from someone who knows what to do. That is you.
Back when Hwy U.S. 1 from Homestead, FL to Key West, FL was only one lane each way, my family came upon a car wreck one day as we headed to Key Largo or Marathon. I was only 21 or 22 at the time and did not have any medical training. Nor did any of the five other adults with me who watched a small child die on the road. The truck driver, the two tourists, the retired accountant, the merchant and I helplessly watched another human being die. If only one person knew what to do and cared enough to intercede, that child might be alive today.
Can God convert everyone on His own? Sure. He can talk loudly enough so that everyone on the planet hears His voice (and in their own language, no less.) But that’s not how God does things. We have a role to play as well. As Christians, we hold the secret and power of life within us. This life is expansive, explosive and therefore should not be contained. It cannot be contained.
If we’re willing to help a person live another ten years in this life, then shouldn’t we also be concerned with their wellbeing in eternity? This is the reason I blog. Whether I am awake or asleep, my witness continues to anyone who accidentially stumbles on it. And I trust that God’s word will accomplish whatever purpose He has for it.
Fellowshipping with other Christians
The last best practice is fellowship. We need other people of similar mind to lift us up and commune with us. We need a group who will treat us as a winner, and not taunt us as if we were a loser. We need people we can go to in confidence who can and will be honest with us. These are people who will have our back. They will not lead us astray.
So, these are the best practices that in my experience and opinion will keep you on the straight and narrow. Please leave a comment if you have any questions that I can help you with.
