Richard Foster begins “Celebration of Discipline” saying, “Superficiality is the curse of our age. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.”
This thought came to mind while I was listening to Henry Cloud speak yesterday. Actually, he spoke last weekend at Willow Creek Community Church. I heard him via my iPod while exercising. Cloud is a psychologist who has written several books that are worth your time reading if you have not yet had that pleasure.
He was talking about stages of growth as a Christian. It’s sort of like stages of growth as a human. You start out not knowing much of anything. Then you’re introduced to God, Jesus, the Bible and disciplines such as prayer. Then you enter a stage of doubt only to emerge with a deep relationship with God.
He talked about getting stuck in stage two. You know the type. Maybe, like Garfield the cartoon cat, you “resemble that remark.” You discover God. You discover the Bible. Suddenly it all seems so clear and simple. You think everyone should know this. This is great. But if you become stuck in this stage, you tend to become rigid. Increasingly everything is black and white and you think a few words will save the world.
Many times that type of person becomes obnoxious. No one wants to be around them. Sometimes they may even get in the way of bringing people to God–the very thing they are trying so desperately to do.
It reminded me that when I teach the Spiritual Disciplines I try to return to the reason for the practice. The reason is not for the sake of rote practice. The reason is to bring people to a deeper relationship with God and therefore participate in the liberation that can only be known in God.
Maybe it’s time for a reality check. Are we dealing with people by telling them what to do? Or, are we dealing with others out of a deep relationship with God that we wish to share?
Faith Venture 
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