The Life You’ve Always Wanted, Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People

Ortberg, John; The Life You’ve Always Wanted, Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich. 2002. pp.269. price 28.95. Available at Leadership Centre, 1-800-804-0777.

Ch.1. "We Shall Morph Indeed." The Hope of Transformation.
Disappointments at varying levels are a part of normal life. Generally we are disappointed that we are not accomplishing what we feel we were created for. In our brokeness we need renewal not repair. The gospel responds to the hope of renewal, the hope of transformation. (spiritual morphing) This is not an event but a process.
Ch.2. Surprised by Change. The Goal of Spiritual Life.
Transformation must be authentic. "Boundary markers"p.33 ,church rules and regulations that create exclusivity, impact spirituality negatively. Some of the threats to spiritual growth are listed and discussed.
Ch.3. Training verses Trying. The Truth About Spiritual Disciplines.
There is no substitute for training when it comes to discipline. There are many considerations that determine the quality of training; individual uniqueness, timing, etc. There are different types of spiritual disciplines.
Ch. 4. A "Dee Dah Day". The Practice of Celebration.
God is a God of joy and this joy is expressed, celebrated, in creation. "Joy is the serious business of heaven." C.S.Lewis. It is a command of scripture. Joy can be learned. Joy is not the absence of suffering. Gratitude is the matching wing to joy resulting in exhilarating flight.
Ch. 5. An Unhurried Life. The Practice of "Slowing".
"You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life."p.76. "Hurry is the devil." Carl Jung. In his modeling, Jesus practiced R and R. The symptoms of hurry are discussed. Some suggestions are made to cure the "hurry sickness".p.83. e.g. solitude. Some ‘how tos’ of solitude are discussed.
Ch. 6. Intercepting Heaven. The Practice of Prayer.
Prayer is often associated with desperate people. e.g.the Hail Mary pass in football. In Revelation we are told that prayers impact heaven. Some examples are cited that illustrate the power of prayer. Some specifics on the discipline of prayer are discussed.
Ch. 7. "Appropriate Smallness". The Practice of Servanthood.
The major obstacle to servanthood is pride. "Pride destroys our capacity to love."p.110. Servanthood requires humility. Servanthood is described as five different kinds of ministry.e.g. "the ministry of the mundane".p.118.
Ch. 8. Life Beyond Regret. The practice of Confession.
Confession for healing involves the following; preparation, self-examination, perception, why and what happened, and new promise and healing. It is a process.
Ch. 9. The Guided Life. Receiving Grace From The Holy Spirit.
The idea of man talking to God (prayer) doesn’t raise controversy with people. Why does God talking to us become such a debated issue? One reason we don’t hear from God is attributed to "spiritual mindlessness"p.144. We have responsibilities when it comes to hearing from God. We must be attentive to anything He may say. We must also be responsive. God’s communications can come from various sources.
Ch. 10. A Life of Freedom. The Practice of Secrecy.
Many of us have an "approval addiction".p.158. Basic to this problem is a confusion between self-worth and performance. "Showing off"p.165, is a form of approval addiction. There is a fine line between receiving praise gracefully and approval addiction. Doing good secretly is therapeutic for a approval addiction.
Ch. 11. An Undivided Life. The Practice of Reflection on Scripture.
Double-minuends, multiplicity, and duplicity are threats to an undivided life. Instead, our goal should be "simplicity of heart".p.177. Transformation is the result of being immersed in the Scriptures. The evidence of transformation is a cleansed mind prepared for good works.
Ch. 12. Life With a Well-Oriented Heart. Developing Your Own "Rule of Life".
To have a well balanced life is not a high enough goal. Our goal needs to be a "well-ordered heart".p.198. Col. 3:17. It is a life style that realizes that we live in the presence of God and this realization impacts everything we do.
Ch. 13. A Life of Endurance. The Experience of Suffering.
Life is a marathon and to live it well it requires many of the ingredients of a marathon. e.g. "Perseverance through suffering". p.210. Perseverance is developed through endurance. There will be tests. e.g. Abraham on Mount Moorish. Suffering is followed by realized hope. Death is followed by resurrection.
Comment HD
There probably is within most of us a strong awareness that we are not living our spiritual lives at the level we could and should live them. John has written a book with practical information that can help us with this challenge. His stories and illustrations are effective in his teaching. The ‘double’ chapter headings identify the areas of our lives that need to be addressed as we seek to raise the bar for our own spiritual lives. This book would appeal to a very wide range of readers. It applies to anyone who seeks to see spiritual maturation in their life.