Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did.

by John Mark Comer

As a general rule, we become more loving by experiencing love, not by hearing about it in a lecture or reading about it in a book.

The one non-negotiable rule of prayer is this: Keep showing up.

Meaning, every yes is a thousand nos. To say yes to Jesus’ invitation to apprentice under him is to say no to countless other invitations.

Remember what matters. Life is fleeting and precious. Don’t squander it. Keep your death before your eyes.

If a person’s vision of God is distorted—if they view him as harsh, demeaning, or chronically angry…or as liberal, laissez-faire, and simply there to champion their sexual pleasure—the more religious they become, the worse they become. Because we become like who we believe God is.

Training, not trying. Practice.

We must embrace this church, this pastor, these people. We must forgive these shortcomings and celebrate these strengths. Community is always a nonabstract journey into facing reality.

These unhappy times of great emotional pain, in a beautifully redemptive turn, have the potential—if we open to God in them—to transform us into grounded, deeply joyful people. Suffering is sadness leaving the body.

When we offer hospitality, we get to embody the heart posture of the Trinity’s inner life—welcome, invitation, warm affection, generosity, provision, safety, community, comfort, the meeting of needs, delight, and sheer joy. And “when we act like God, we get to feel like God,”[30] to share his joy.

witness, it just means to tell others what you saw or experienced. That’s it.

That’s what a Rule is—a structure of behavior to support us “when love falters,” to anchor our lives in something deeper than our fleeting emotions and chaotic desires.

Does this move me toward Jesus or away?

Love is the metric to pay attention to.

Spiritual disciplines are the Jesus-designed way of offering yourself to God so that you can draw on (or “appropriate”) what the apostle Paul called “grace”[31]—the empowering presence of God’s Spirit.

Once you are living under your means rather than chronically overextended, it opens up all sorts of new possibilities.

Start where you are, not where you “should” be

The key is to know your season of life and stage of development and adjust your practice accordingly.

You see, Jesus did not beg or manipulate or bully. Coercion is not a fruit of the Spirit. He didn’t strong-arm or offer a sales pitch;