PRACTICE
52
Weeks of Spiritual Practice
By Deborah Williams
The
purpose of the 52 Principles is to develop a partnership, a connection with
God. Connecting with God is why we are here; the soul’s desire. To be in
communication with the Creator is ideally the most fulfilling life, our best
life. The intent of the 52 Principles is God-realization through daily
practice. Practice the principles with frequency and find God-consciousness
through your own efforts. With practice, you will begin to encounter your
experiences in a spiritual context as you begin to practice and master
spiritual principles. This week’s spiritual principle is Commitment.
Commitment
is unwavering focus; faithful, all in, and dedication to a desired course of
action. Being committed to an end result begins with developing a process, and
repeating the process until you get the desired result. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust
him to help you do it, and he will. (Psalm 37:5). It takes
time to give God our best. Commitment requires that we put
our butt on the line, our entire self, regardless of the amount of time is
involved. Do the thing until something happens; until you see results. Believe
God is working on your behalf.
We
can be deliberate in our commitment to emotional, spiritual, and physical
growth when we develop and implement a process. Commitment takes time and growth
is a gradual process.
Moses’
development took 40+ years in order to be a vessel that God could use. God can
make a mushroom in less than 24 hours, but a mighty oak tree takes decades. Napoleon
Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich,
and You Can Work Your Own Miracles, reveals
that his Science of Success philosophy took 20 years to complete. Hill’s time
was committed to research, theory and practice of the success philosophy without
monetary benefit or recognition during those years. Like Moses, Hill, and many
others, the benefits of our contributions are far reaching when we understand how
our gifts not only benefit us, but it also benefits others.
Deepak
Chopra highlights three levels of commitment in The Book of Secrets, from half-hearted commitment to “all-in”
passion. 1) Quitting when you meet your first obstacle. 2) Going into a
situation conquering a few obstacles and then quitting. 3) Going into a
situation to master it.
Challenges
are opportunities for growth if we remain focused on the end result. There are
no easy steps to physical and spiritual maturity. Proverbs 16:3 encourages to Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place. Experience your victory through being
committed until you see the victory. The real triumph is in the mind and
spirit.
Self-Assessment:
How
do you stay committed?
Stand for nothing; fall for
anything (el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz). What do you stand for?
How
far reaching is your commitment – is it just for you or do others benefit?
Who
are you committed to becoming?
What
price are you willing to pay for the end result in time and energy?
What
are you willing to do to get what you say you want?
How
long are you willing to wait for your end result?
What
is your expected end?
Commitment Practices:
·
Record insights and life lessons for
self and others; track your spiritual growth. Record what you learn about life
and relationships. Review your journal to keep a firm grip on your commitments.
Your life is preparation for greatness that benefits you and others.
·
Affirm the good and seek your inner
voice of encouragement. No matter how small, create daily successes. Develop a
process of self-motivation. If you need external motivation, find a coach or a
support group.
·
In 15 words or less, write down or
verbalize what you stand for; stand on your own first –and practice being that.
·
Trust in your greatness; greatness
attracts greatness. Affirmation of greatness: I come from greatness, I attract greatness, I am greatness. Look
for the evidence of your greatness; you get what you think about.
·
Incorporate character building through
spiritual disciplines (love, courage, mindfulness, commitment, faith, etc.). Practice
makes perfect. Develop a process and repeat the process until you get the
expected results. The law of consistency is the law of breakthrough.
Commit
to becoming what God created you to be. Commit to the habit of sharing your
gift with others. Commit to a daily
spiritual practice. Developing a habit takes time and repetition is the mother
of skill.
How
do you stay motivated to your commitments? Develop your own spiritual practice.
Peace
and Many Blessings
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