Spiritual discipline is the chief aim of the Christian life. Walking in step with the Holy Spirit is not optional—it is essential for anyone seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus. Yet in our modern world, we are constantly pulled toward the surface. Superficiality is our greatest distraction. Lack of depth is the curse of Western culture. We fail to recognize that our desire for instant gratification is first and foremost a spiritual issue. However, our hunger for immediacy is not just cultural—it’s spiritual.
This is where the ancient spiritual disciplines become profoundly relevant. They serve as anchors, helping us navigate the chaos of modern life. They shape our inner lives and foster the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are not achieved through sheer willpower but through consistent spiritual formation. The disciplines also free us from the tyranny of self-interest and the burden of cultural expectations.
The more common spiritual disciplines include prayer (individual and corporate), studying scripture, fasting, worship, and service. Writers like Richard Foster and Dallas Willard have beautifully articulated their value. Yet, there are three disciplines often overlooked in the church today that are especially vital: solitude, silence, and simplicity.
Solitude: Meeting God in Stillness
Solitude is rarely talked about, often conjuring images of the monastic, far removed from the ordinary lives of people like you and me. However, solitude is not reserved for the spiritually elite—it’s an invitation for all believers to step away from the noise and encounter God in a more intimate and meaningful way.
In solitude, God helps us make sense of life’s occurrences. Without it, frustration can linger and overwhelm us during challenging seasons. Solitude offers rest—a spiritual rest that reorients our perspective. Remarkably, the first thing Adam experienced after being created was rest in God’s presence. Before work, before activity, there was rest. God knew what we still struggle to learn: deep rest in His presence is essential to our well-being.
When we enter solitude, we realize we are not truly alone. God meets us there. It’s in the quiet that we begin to hear His voice more clearly and recognize our true identity—image-bearers of Christ. Solitude cultivates a deeper abiding with Jesus, away from the distractions that so often distort our focus.
Silence: Learning to Listen
The discipline of solitude naturally leads to the discipline of silence. Silence teaches us to hear the voice of the Lord. In a world saturated with noise, silence feels foreign—even uncomfortable. Yet silence is where the voice of God becomes clear.
Silence is not merely the absence of talking; it is the intentional quieting of our environment and inner world to make space for God’s truth. It trains us to listen beyond the surface—to tune our hearts to the whisper of the Holy Spirit, even in the midst of chaos. Silence teaches spiritual discernment: when to speak, when to remain quiet, and how to live from a posture of listening.
The power of silence draws us deeper into the heart of the Father. Though solitude can exist without silence, the two together unlock deeper spiritual clarity. In a world addicted to distraction, silence gives us control over what captures our attention and invites us into communion with God that words often cannot achieve.
Simplicity: Freedom from the Need for More
Simplicity is the discipline that liberates us from the insatiable craving for more. It unchains us from the false promise that fulfillment lies in accumulation. Instead, it leads us to peace, joy, and contentment—not through poverty, but through freedom. It replaces anxiety with peace and teaches us to be content with where we are and what we have.
Simplicity reorders our desires. It dismantles our dependence on status, appearance, and approval. We lose the appetite for extravagance. In its place, it plants contentment and teaches us to make decisions from a place of discernment rather than competition or fear of missing out.
The world convinces us to purchase things we don’t need to impress people we don’t even like. The talking heads convince people that they need much more than they will ever use. The pressure is relentless, and unless we resist, we continue to feed the machine of consumerism subconsciously.
Society teaches us “what’s in” and “what’s out.” Culture tells us how to dress, where to shop, and what we should like and dislike. They force-feed us with innuendos until we swallow them as facts. People follow mindlessly, failing to realize that when we live by the standards of a sick society, we too become sick.
Jesus taught : “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…” (Matt. 6:19-21). “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:24). “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13).
Simplicity helps us confront our addiction to comfort, our obsession with image, and our need for control. It teaches us to abandon the desire to be seen, and instead entrust our lives, reputations, and needs to God.
The Call to Spiritual Formation
A strong spirit sustains a weak body and a drained mind. This is why the spiritual disciplines are imperative in our walk with God. Solitude gives us clarity. Silence sharpens our hearing. Simplicity anchors us in contentment.
St. Augustine said, “If you love the world it will absorb you; for the world knows not how to support, but only how to devour its admirers.” That truth still rings today. Thus, we must create sacred spaces in our lives—sanctuaries where we retreat to practice solitude, silence, and simplicity. Through these often-ignored disciplines, we rediscover what it means to walk closely with Jesus in an age desperate for depth.
Sources: (1) Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster; (2) The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis; (3) The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard
Brian L Powell 