Spiritual disciplines do nothing to improve your record with God—that’s what Christ did on the Cross. Spiritual disciplines will help get you where you want to go—to a lasting legacy. Here are four disciplines that are on my “must do” list. ����Be part of a disciple-making church. The mission is, “Go and make disciples.” 59 If you are not in a church that’s focused on the mission you’re in the wrong place. ����Read the Bible for yourself. The Bible is God speaking to us. You will not grow deeply until you set aside quiet times when, without interruptions and distractions, you can tune your ears to hear the speech of God. ����Participate in a men’s small group. Couples groups are good, but there is an unparalleled bond that develops in a men’s small group. In our experience, most meaningful change takes place in the context of small group relationships. ����Pray for your wife, and, if possible, with her. Easily the number one issue facing men is that marriages are not working correctly. One of the most powerful solutions is to pray for and with your wife. Why not give these ideas a try? A list of what’s really important to you reviewed regularly, a plan to make memories with your children, and a commitment to practice spiritual disciplines. These may not be all of the ingredients of a lasting legacy, but they seem more than adequate to assemble a wife, your children, your pastor, and forty friends. These are the standards by which I have measured my life. These are the particular ways I have articulated my understanding of the Bible. What’s on your list? What are the ingredients of your lasting legacy? Idea #2: Make Memories I do not remember routine childhood moments.. Instead, I remember the special occasions and memorable experiences. I remember crabbing off a bridge with a chicken neck on a string, being the king of my 6th grade class, and surf fishing with my family at the beach. Spend time with your children. Every Tuesday night I took one of them out for dinner and an activity. My son liked go carts. My daughter liked the mall. They both loved being with their dad. My adult son told me, “Dad, I want to have a job like you did because I can never remember you missing one of my games, and I want to do that for my kids too.” Kids remember the funniest things, but they all remember that time = love. Idea #3: Practice Spiritual Disciplines A legacy doesn’t just happen; it takes diligence, forethought, planning, and execution. One of the oldest traditions of Christian faith is the practice of spiritual disciplines. The spiritual disciplines are how we keep our lives focused on the ingredients of a lasting legacy. ■ PATRICK MORLEY The author of 20 books, Patrick Morley, PhD, is best known for writing The Man in the Mirror, with more than three million copies in print. He is Founder and Chairman of Man in the Mirror and has been teaching a weekly Bible Study to thousands of men for over 30 years. Pat and his wife, Patsy, live in Winter Park, Florida. www.maninthemirror.org
20514 Man in Mirror
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