SILENCE AND SOLITUDE: A discipline that is sorely missing in today’s busy world, removing oneself from outer distractions and noise is important fora Christian. This is certainly important when one is engaging in these
other private disciplines, but it is also good for the believer to devote additional time to being still, for the purposes
of meditating on Gods Word, reflecting on His creation and beauty, and separating oneself from the hindrances of the world. Try to begin this by devoting a half day each month to being still and quiet before God.
PERSONAL STUDY: While God’s
Word is a perfect, infallible aid to knowing Him, we also have at our disposal a wealth of information that has been written about Him. While not
on the same level as the Bible, we can still learn much from those that have gone before us. Many wonderful books about theology,
Christian living, the Bible, etc, can supplement our time in God’s Word and should be part of a Christians life. Without these tools we may not understand Gods Word properly or how to appropriately apply what we learn. Biographies of Christian saints before us also serve to bolster our faith and lead us to praise Him for His work in history. The
Discipleship Training Resource Center (DTRC) discussed above is an excellent place to acquire the necessary books and reading lists to seriously pursue personal study. Hopefully you are already doing many of these in your regular walk in Christ. Make sure to record what you are studying personally, both in God’s
Word and in other resources, in your
Discipleship Journal (Form 5).