Underhill on Planning the Spiritual Life

A few more thoughts from Evelyn Underhill's The Spiritual Life:

Many people seem to think that the spiritual life necessarily requires a definite and exacting plan of study. It does not. But it does require a definite plan of life, and courage in sticking to the plan....New mental and emotional habits must be formed, all our interests re-arranged in new proportion round a new centre. This is something which cannot be hurried; but, unless, we take it seriously, can be infinitely delayed.

Notice what Underhill advocates as steps toward the spiritual life you long for: (1) a definite plan; (2) sticking to it; and (3) taking it seriously to avoid delay. Why? Because there are two natures at war within us. We are trying to cultivate one and kill of the other. We have to pay continued attention to the care and feeding of the one that we want to thrive.

Evelyn Underhill on Habits

Evelyn Underhill wrote prolifically during the 1920s and 30s about the spiritual life and what it means to be holy. Many people would describe her as a mystic, so deep and contemplative was her spiritual walk. Yet the thrust of her life’s work was to make a deeper spiritual walk accessible to “normal” people living normal, busy lives. As she said, “...it is those who have a deep and real inner life who are best able to deal with the irritating details of outer life.”

In her classic book, The Spiritual Life, Underhill wrote that the path to a deeper spiritual life includes

…some time, even though this may be a very short time, given, and given definitely, to communion with Him; and perseverance in this practice, even though at first we seem to get nothing from it. There are few lives in which there is no pause through the day. We must use even the few minutes that we have in this way, and let the spirit of these few minutes spread though the busy hours.

Underhill was describing what we have been talking about for the past several weeks—starting small, but starting definitely, to set aside moments throughout the day in which we seek to communicate with God. This is the beginning of the deeper spiritual life we long for.

How are you doing with our habits for February? We are praying for a few minutes three times a day: immediately upon waking up, before falling asleep at night and at one other set time during the day. We are also reading the New Testament for 7-8 minutes each day. See the January 31 post for more details.

Trying vs. Training

Last night as I was shuttling my kids back and forth across town, I happened to catch John Ortberg on the radio talking about his book, The Life You’ve Always Wanted. I’ve read the book at least three times and would definitely recommend it.

Last night Ortberg stressed the difference between trying and training--the single most helpful principle he knows in developing your spiritual life. Think of it this way: most of us could not go out and run a marathon this weekend just by trying. No matter how motivated and no matter how hard we try, most of us simply don’t have the capacity right now to run the 26+ miles of a marathon. However, the great majority of us could develop the capacity to run a marathon if we began to train, starting with short jogs and building up our stamina bit by bit.

For Ortberg, understanding the difference between trying and training turned the notion of becoming more like Jesus from a pretty much unattainable goal to a concrete, tangible possibility. He realized he needed to take small steps. Faithfully practiced, these small steps would help him ultimately achieve what he could not yet do by his own direct efforts.

Training is what we are doing when we practice our February habits. These habits are not rules written out in the Bible that we must follow. Nor are they the end goal or the finish line of the Christian faith. They are just helpful devices to increase our capacity to speak to and hear from God. Most of us say we want to feel closer to God or to be more Christ-like, just like we say we want to run a marathon (or at least have enough energy to get off the couch and run around the block). The catch is, most of us need to go into training to achieve these goals.

Ironically, as I was listening to Ortberg talk about training last night I was picking up my daughter from play practice and running my son over to lacrosse practice. Wednesday nights are easy—on Thursdays I pick my daughter up from play practice, take her directly to basketball practice and then race home to take my son to hockey practice. (And in between all these activities we sandwich another kind of practice—homework.) Why do parents make themselves crazy with practices? We do it to help our kids develop the capacity to excel at—or at least enjoy--particular sports and arts. Think about the dangers of a bunch of 10-year-old boys running around with hockey or lacrosse sticks and no training whatsoever. Even worse, think about the agony of watching a bunch of preteens put on a play for which they have not practiced!

Without the frequent training in small doses that these practices represent, kids are directionless on the field and on the stage. They have little chance of scoring a goal, defending against opponents or giving a star performance. Similarly, without establishing some sort of practice or training routine, you and I have little chance of developing further our capacities for a richer and more abundant spiritual life, for defending against the enemy or shining like stars in the universe as Philippians 2:15 claims we can do.

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. 1 Corinthians 9:25

What Did Daniel Accomplish?

What was the result of Daniel’s determination to stick with his prayer habits no matter what the outcome? Daniel was sentenced to death and thrown into a den of lions. He remained there unharmed all night and was pulled out alive and unscathed the next morning. The king was overjoyed, acknowledging the existence and the power of the living God. Those who had plotted to take Daniel’s life were themselves put to death and the king sent out a proclamation in multiple languages declaring the glory and power of God and decreeing that everyone in the kingdom must reverence and honor Daniel’s God.

So when sticking with your prayer habit seems boring, a waste of time, or downright dangerous, remember what Daniel’s diligence in praying three times a day accomplished: the complete reversal of an unjust law and a nationwide declaration of God’s greatness and call to worship by the head of state. (Not to mention a spectacular miracle in Daniel’s personal life and his vindication in front of his enemies.)

How are you doing with our February habits? We are praying three times a day—just like Daniel. Remember to pray for a minute or two as soon as you wake up and before you drift off to sleep. Find a third time during the day when you can devote a few more minutes to prayer--preferably the same time every day. And read your New Testament for 7-8 minutes a day. See the January 31 for more info.

What Would Daniel Do? #3

Lesson #3 from Daniel’s Prayer Book: Don’t vary from your prayer routine lightly. Why do you think that after the anti-prayer law was passed Daniel kept on praying in a way that his enemies could observe and report on? Wouldn’t he have been smarter to pray while taking a walk or at his desk pretending to read or something? Couldn’t he have found a hiding place? Why did he just go right back to his usual prayer spot and pray at his usual times?

Well, to be honest, there may be a number of reasons. He may have done it to set an example for the other Jews in Babylon who were wondering what to do about the law. He may have done it knowing his civil disobedience would bring the matter to a rapid resolution. But he also may have done it because he knew it is not all that easy for human beings to stay on course once they deviate from their habits.

It’s like my current distress over the broken elliptical machine. Sure there are a number of other ways to get some exercise. But if they involve varying where and when I exercise—and in turn forcing me to juggle other commitments, rearrange the kids’ schedules, spend extra money or drive extra distance—the chances that I can find the determination to overcome my natural lethargy and get some exercise become slim at best.

The point is that if the thing we are trying to accomplish is of any priority, it is better to stick as closely as possible to our routines no matter what else happens. It is one of the best ways to make sure that thing gets done even as everything else falls apart. Yes of course there will be crisis times—like when the government passes a law that threatens our lives—but even then our prayer routines should not go out the window. In fact, especially then they should not go out the window. They should become the thing we cling to keep us sane in a world gone crazy, the bare minimum of time we seek God’s guidance and comfort. If you and I vary our prayer habits for anything from a busy day at work to feeling a little overtired, we will be in sad shape when the real crisis comes.

How are you doing on our February habits? Don't forget to pray for a few minutes when you wake up, before you fall asleep and for 3 minutes one other time during the day. Read your New Testament for 7 minutes.

What Would Daniel Do? #2

A second lesson from Daniel's Prayer Book: Don’t take breaks--even temporary ones--from your prayer habit.

It is interesting to me that the anti-prayer law which Daniel defied was only temporary: don’t pray for the next 30 days. I think in his shoes I might have been tempted to skip prayer for a month, figuring God would understand and would still be there when I got back. And afterall, Daniel was an experienced prophet with many years of praying under his belt. Surely he could have assumed that a month without praying wouldn’t result in much harm, couldn't he? Apparently, he thought it would and he kept right on praying.

I am so quick to take breaks from prayer. In fact, I struggle to find time to pray every weekend--and the reason is that on the weekends my routines fall apart. Things get so busy with the kids and you never know who's where or doing what. And a family vacation? Forget about good prayer habits for that week! Everything is up for grabs! Yet we see Daniel persevering in his habits even though it might have meant the death penalty. Maybe that's because he had learned from a long life walking with God that it is just not worth breaking the routine--prayer was just too high a priority to risk falling off the wagon.

My elliptical machine cracked the other day. I can't use it until it is repaired. This is a real problem for me since I know from past experience that if I stop exercising for even a day I may never start again. I lose motivation. To make myself start again is a full-fledged battle. Prayer is like that too. We need good habits and we need to keep going. No breaks.

"...Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance...." Hebrews 12:1

What Would Daniel Do?

Is the idea of habits just a crutch that we weak 21st century Christians need? No, some of the Bible “greats” used them too. Think about Daniel. Daniel made it a habit to pray three times a day (sound familiar?) and he was so consistent in following through that his enemies were able to base a lot to kill him on it.

You know the story. Daniel’s rivals influenced the king to enact a law prohibiting prayer to anyone other than the king for 30 days knowing full well that Daniel would ignore the law. In fact, when Daniel heard about the law, he went right home and continued to pray three times a day as usual. Daniel’s enemies ran to the king crying, “Look! Daniel is still praying.”

Now I know we vaguely think that daily times of prayer were easy for characters in Bible times. Somehow daily prayer seems appropriate for them but impractical for us with our busy careers, families, church activities, home improvement projects, etc., etc. But try for a minute to think about whether it was easy from Daniel’s perspective. Daniel was not a full-time minister or monk. He was a busy government official rising rapidly through the ranks. At the time the new law was enacted, he was in the middle of a change in administrations on the verge of a huge promotion. I doubt it was any easier for Daniel to fit prayer into his schedule than it is for you and me to find time to pray during a busy day. Actually, given that Daniel was very much in the minority, a Jew far from home, with no Wednesday night prayer meeting or small group to keep him going, it was probably very much harder.

How did Daniel manage it? You know as well as I do that you don’t wake up one day in the middle of a demanding career and say, “Hmm. Well, would you look at that. I somehow manage to pray three times a day.” Unfortunately it just doesn’t happen that way. No, Daniel needed to purposefully and deliberately cultivate prayer as a habit. I am pretty sure he acted the same way he acted in Daniel chapter 1 where we read that Daniel “resolved” that he would not defile himself with the king’s food. My pastor says this word means “pulled together ideas.” In other words, Daniel brainstormed and put together a game plan. I imagine he did the same thing with prayer. He did not leave it to chance and hope he might have a spare moment at the end of the day. Instead, he said “Let me see. How often can I work a prayer break into my day? And where shall I pray? I think I can break away three times a day and I’ll set aside a place upstairs.”

And so Daniel set some goals about prayer and followed through. As a result he had the strength to live out his life in Babylon, God’s messenger in a secular world, unafraid of unjust laws, kings, and lions.

New habit for February: We are praying three times a day—just like Daniel. Remember to pray for a minute or two as soon as you wake up and before you drift off to sleep. Find a third time during the day when you can devote a few more minutes to prayer. And read your New Testament for 7-8 minutes a day. See the January 31 for more info.

"Three times a day [Daniel] got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to God, just as he had done before." Daniel 6:10

Jim Elliot's Habits

Elisabeth Elliot writes about Jim Elliot's habits:

Jim started his journal as a means of self-discipline. He began to get up early in the morning during his junior year in college to read the Bible and pray before classes. He was realistic enough to recognize the slim chances of fitting in any serious study and prayer later in the day. If it had priority on his list of things that mattered, it had to have chronological priority. To see that he did not waste the dearly-bought time, he began to note down on paper specific things he learned from the Word and specific things he asked for in prayer.

Jim Elliot's early morning habits may seem a little daunting to those of us who are not morning people--or who have babies who keep us up at night or toddlers who already wake us up far too early--but I wanted to include them here because they illustrate the point we have been taking about. If we are to get God to the top of our "to do" lists we need to figure out how to fit Bible reading and prayer into our lives in a way that they don't get pushed out by other things. We have to really think about what will work for us and then take steps to cement it as a habit in our lives. For Jim Elliot, getting up early was a way to make sure Bible reading and prayer actually happened. The journal writing was a way to discipline himself--to keep his mind from wandering, to keep him on task and to help him remember what he had learned. That is what worked for him.

We usually think of Jim Elliot as the brave missionary he was 7 years later, willing to live a totally dedicated life and die a martyr's death. We imagine a state of spirituality well beyond anything we could ever attain. Try for a moment to think of him as the college student, struggling to fit a little Bible reading and prayer into the day, having to force himself to journal so his thoughts wouldn't stray. That sounds a little more like where you and I live, doesn't it? It was interesting to me to read that Jim recorded in his journal that many of his prayers were unanswered during that time. Yet he slogged on and so can we.

(You can see Jim Elliot's story in "The End of the Spear" out in theaters now.)

Why Habits?

Does God mandate praying three times a day or reading the New Testament for a specific number of minutes per day? No. Definitely not. And you may well think I am being trivial or overly rigid to suggest that we mandate a structure like this for ourselves.

The thing is, most of us need to set up some sort of parameters for Bible reading and praying if we are ever going to get around to doing them. We have so many other things to do and we are not really all that good at making constructive use of the time we have left over. But once we have followed the admittedly man-made and artificial structure we have imposed on ourselves for awhile, Bible reading and prayer become a habit and much easier to make a part of every day. We begin to see changes in our way of life and in our thinking that are exciting and keep us going. Eventually we look back and say, “Wow! I had to force myself to pray for two minutes three times a day. I wonder why I thought it was so hard back then? Now I can’t imagine getting through the day without praying.”

Think about it this way. If your 5-year-old came to you and said, “I want to be a concert pianist when I grow up,” and this was a goal you thought worth achieving, what would you do? Would you say, “Hey, good luck with that. When you can play Beethoven’s Fifth let me know.” No. You would say, “OK. You know it’s going to take years of practice. Let’s start with a half hour a day.” Since your kid is only 5, you’d probably soon find out that he’d do much better with two or three practice sessions a day, each limited to 5 minutes. And many days even those short sessions would be a struggle. But eventually, if the child is destined to be a pianist, the practice sessions would expand, your child would fall in love with the piano and piano playing would become a major part of his life. Looking back you would both laugh to think that his brilliant piano career began with struggling to find the time and self-discipline to practice for 5 minutes a couple times a day.

The point, of course, is that a child does not become a concert pianist overnight. Nor do you and I become avid prayer warriors or Bible scholars overnight. But you have to start somewhere and, although they may appear ridiculously small or overly rigid, developing daily habits is a good way to get to where you want to go.

Habits for February: Pray for a couple minutes as soon as you wake up and before you fall asleep each night. Pick one additional time during the day when you can pray for 3 minutes undisturbed and do it every day. Read the New Testament for 7 or 8 minutes each day.