Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what aboutthis man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is thatto you? You follow Me.”

  - John 21.20-22

...the true tradition of praying is that the capacity of a man devoted to this work should be realized without wearying of his vow, whether the excellency of his capacity allows this, or whether his mental grasp or physical condition could allow it, considering his limitations, and that it should be realized as far as the zeal of each demands...

  - Columbanus, Monks’ Rule, Irish, 7th century[1]

Columbanus touches on a general principle of spiritual life, namely, that each of us has realized a particular stage of growth in the Lord, and each has a unique capacity for continuing to grow. We should not expect to be on the same level of Christian growth as others, and we need to discern and practice those disciplines which are best adapted to our capacity for growing at any time.

In other words, where growing in the Lord is concerned, it’s not one size fits all. And just as important, as Jesus reminded Peter, is that each of us should be zealous to discover and develop our own capacity for following the Lord, without occupying ourselves about where others are or ought to be in their walk with and work for Him.

The monastic rules of discipline developed by Celtic Christians were nearly always more demanding than anything practiced anywhere else in the Church in those days. It was this focused and austere discipline that enabled Irish monastics to respond readily to calls to mission or service in dangerous and distant lands. It also enabled them to achieve depths of spiritual vitality that attracted young people to them by the thousands, in the hope of finding a more meaningful and satisfying life.

But if I understand Columbanus correctly, it appears there was flexibility in living by these rules. Men were expected to do the best they could in keeping the rule, according to their stage of growth in the Lord (zeal) and their strength and ability to perform what their vows required (capacity).

In other words, in employing these broad and demanding rules of discipline, room for individual expression and development was encouraged.

Of course, each person needed to determine his own stage of submission to the rule, according to his zeal and capacity. He could not be concerned about others, except to encourage them by his counsel and example. His primary concern was to advance in his own personal practice, for only as he did would he continue to bear fruit for the Lord and bring blessings to others.

So it is with us today. God has not called us to worry about where others may be in their walk with the Lord, or what He may be doing with them. We are only responsible for ourselves, and if we work hard to nurture our zeal and capacity in following the Lord, we will find that He can use us to encourage and strengthen others, even as we are joyously growing in Him ourselves.

Following Jesus is enhanced by practicing such disciplines as will fill up the time of our lives with Kingdom-seeking. Any moment and any exertion or activity not devoted to advancing Christ’s rule of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit will be devoted to – what?

We need a disciplined approach to Kingdom living, but one adapted to where we are in the Lord at any time; and what we can do to improve the use of our time and to gain the benefits of the disciplines God prescribes for us in His Word.

How would you describe your zeal and capacity for the Lord? What do the disciplines that fill the time of your life say about where you are in your walk with Him?

Seek to establish a rule of discipline that will energize your growth in and service for the One Who says to each one of us, “You follow Me.”

Psalm 116.7-14 (Mit Freuden Zart: All Praise to God Who Reigns Above)
Full well the Lord has dealt with me; my soul from death He delivered.
My weeping eyes, my stumbling feet, He has redeemed forever.
Forever I before His face shall walk with those who know His grace,
And dwell with them forever.

Afflicted, I believe His Word, though lying men would undo me.
What shall I render to the Lord for all His blessings to me?
Salvation’s cup I lift above and call upon the God of love
And pay my vows most truly.

Lord, show me the best way to follow You every day. Are my disciplines what they should be? Is my zeal and is my capacity what You expect of me?

The Disciplined Life
In case you missed our 7-part series on The Disciplined Life, all installments are available as free downloads by clicking here. Study on your own or with a group of friends, and work on helping your zeal and capacity in following the Lord steadily increase.

Introduction to Christian Worldview
Our online course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview, allows you to study at your own pace as you discover the broad parameters and glorious details of the Kingdom ecosystem to which you have been called as a follower of Christ. Brief videos, study materials, assessment tools, questions for reflection, and action steps make this a course that addresses all aspects of your Christian worldview. The course and course materials are free, and it can go a long way to increasing your zeal and capacity as a disciple of Jesus Christ. For more information and to register, click here.

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T. M. Moore
Principal
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All psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.