Spiritual Training

I've read several books on "spiritual disciplines" over the years and found them helpful. I keep picking up new ones, though, hoping that the next one will help me take a giant step instead of the baby steps I seem to prefer.

John Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted is the latest, and in many ways the most helpful. Perhaps it's because Ortberg explains the purpose of spiritual disciplines in a way that finally got through to me.

• Spiritual disciplines are a form of spiritual training, like training for anything else. They are not an end to themselves, something you do that in doing confer spirituality. They are exercises to strengthen your spirit in ways that need strengthening. He makes the point that resonates with me that as you look at your life and see areas where growth is needed, that you select disciplines that will provide the exercise needed to allow that growth.
• He draws extensively from previous writers which helped draw together many of the ideas and suggestions I had read before.

So, now that I have some fresh perspective, I'll be modifying my spiritual exercise program in coming days to better meet my needs.

I recommend giving this book some study, even making it the first book you read on spiritual disciplines if you have not studied the subject before. I found it particularly helpful in providing perspective, if not always fully satisfying in its treatment of some specific aspects.