Becoming a disciple of Jesus can seem like a lot of work, but upon closer examination, we see work has little to do with it. Instead, following Jesus as a true disciple is about doing just a few things well. As I’ve continued my journey to discipleship, I’ve come to realize there are three keys to spiritual success. Craig Groeschel summed these up well in his latest book, “Divine Direction”.
He wrote, “It’s the faithfulness to do mundane things well, develop productive habits, and to remain faithful that eventually leads to success.” These are three simple concepts, all of which have the potential to unleash incredible results in our quest to live a more Christ-like life.
Before we dive in, I want to define what I mean by “spiritual success”. To me, spiritual success is achieved when our lives are completely sold out to God, and we live in a manner that looks like Christ. With this in mind, let’s take a brief look at the three keys to spiritual success.
Do mundane things well
We all want to make an impact and leave a legacy. We long for significance and dream of doing things on a large scale. I have learned growth comes in the small, the trivial, and the activities others feel are beneath them. If we can’t serve God well in anonymity, we will never serve Him well on a bigger stage. The mundane things are our woodshed moments, the place where we practice what God has revealed to us. Doing mundane things well grows our humility, squelches our pride, and builds our character to look like Jesus.
Develop productive habits
It’s virtually impossible to grow in Christ without developing some essential disciplines in our life. You can’t begin to understand God if you aren’t spending time getting to know Him. Simple disciplines like getting to bed at a reasonable hour so you can get up a little early to begin your day in prayer with Him will result in exponential growth. Reading His Word will lead you to better understand His amazing love and character. Depriving yourself of temporary pleasures so you might share your excess with others is a great discipline to build. Practice holding your tongue when someone insults or slights you. Do anything that makes you look like Jesus, and avoid everything that doesn’t.
Remain faithful
There will be times it will appear all your efforts are futile. You won’t see any results. Perhaps you will even feel God has become distant. These are the times when you must press on. You must remain faithful to the life He has called you to live. The real proof of faith is whether you can endure in the hard times, not the good. You will often be tempted to quit, but don’t. Remain faithful.
Conclusion
I admit you could certainly argue there are more than three keys to spiritual success, but I submit the three we’ve discussed are a great start and will serve you well should you choose to embrace them. If you will humble yourself to do mundane things well, develop the habits and disciplines into your life to look more like Jesus, and remain faithful no matter what comes your way, you will find yourself living the life of a disciple. This should be your greatest goal, for this is God’s will for your life.