Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:7-8

The One Step Daily Devotional is intended to provide just one step each day for your journey with God. Every journey requires water breaks. Here is a water break for you.

There are a lot of myths and stories that fly around these days. In the days of Jesus, the smaller communities that they enjoyed came with the risk of high amounts of gossip. Everyone knew each other’s business. People were known for their families, and most people knew each other for generations. These days, things in America look different, but the challenge not to engage in myths and stories and gossip remains. Many people walk through this life without knowing anyone and without being known, but they have many, many connections. Connections are not the same as knowing, though they do make room for myths and stories about each other.

If we choose not to engage in the gossip, myths, and stories that social media and hyper-connectivity allow for, what are we to engage in? Paul writes to Timothy that we should spend our time and emotional and mental capacity training for godliness. What does this look like?

Compiling Richard Foster’s work in Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth and Dallas Willard’s The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, we see a list of spiritual disciplines below:

Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster

Inward Disciplines: Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, Study
Outward Disciplines: Simplicity, Solitude, Submission, Service
Corporate Disciplines: Confession, Worship, Guidance, Celebration

The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives by Dallas Willard

Disciplines of Abstinence: solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy, sacrifice
Disciplines of Engagement: study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession, submission

Knowing more details about these disciplines brings great value, so I encourage you to read these two books if you haven’t. Just looking at this list, though, I’m sure you can find what I can: some area that needs attention.

In my life, I can say that I have not walked in these as Jesus did while here on earth. Different seasons have allowed for focuses on different disciplines. In this season of my life, the spiritual discipline of study is necessary. But what of the spiritual discipline of celebration? It’s easy for me to pause and skip this one because of “all I have to do.”

What if our participation in spiritual growth should not be completely influenced by the current season of our life? What if there are times that the spiritual disciplines that Jesus is calling us to practice go against the flow of our life… on purpose.

What if in a season of feasting God calls us to fast? What if in a season of quiet God calls us to community? What if in a season of spending God calls us to frugality?

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to engage in a spiritual discipline that you haven’t tried before? Perhaps God wants you to use spiritual disciplines to bring you closer to Him. Maybe today God wants you to go against the flow of your season to open the door for spiritual growth.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

Return to devo list

receive prayer

receive devo daily