Spiritual Discipline for the Christian Life
by Donald Whitney
Review by Jay Veverka
Other than God’s Word, I have a hard time thinking of another book that has impacted my walk with God like Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. This book, written by Donald Whitney, was a source of great encouragement and instruction during my early years as a Christian and still provides great insights and challenges to me today. Built upon 1 Timothy 4:7, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness”, Whitney walks the reader through several commonly discussed disciplines and other not so familiar ones. From reading the Bible and prayer to fasting and journaling, Whitney reminds the reader again and again that these disciplines are not a form of bondage or of works-based salvation but are the God-given means to our freedom and delight in God. Elisabeth Elliot once wrote that “freedom and discipline have come to be regarded as mutually exclusive, when in fact freedom is not at all the opposite, but the final reward, of discipline.” Reading Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines will aid in leading you to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness, allowing you to enjoy the freedom found in the Gospel. Christ is committed to your holiness. Will you yield yourself to His Spirit and answer the call to a life of discipline for His glory and your good?