Richard J. Foster Quotes about Discipline

God has given us the Disciplines of the spiritual life as a means of receiving his grace. The Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that he can transform us.

God has given us the Disciplines of the spiritual life as a means of receiving his grace. The Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that he can transform us.

Richard J. Foster

Spiritual, Mean, Discipline

Richard J. Foster (2009). “Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth”, p.7, Harper Collins

A farmer is helpless to grow grain; all he can do is provide the right conditions for the growing of grain. He cultivates the ground, he plants the seed, he waters the plants, and then the natural forces of the earth take over and up comes the grain...This is the way it is with the Spiritual Disciplines - they are a way of sowing to the Spirit... By themselves the Spiritual Disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done.

Richard J. Foster

Spiritual, Jesus, Discipline

Richard J. Foster (2009). “Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth”, p.7, Harper Collins

Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh whines against service but screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honour and recognition. It will devise subtle, religiously acceptable means to call attention to the service rendered. If we stoutly refuse to give in to this lust of the flesh, we crucify it. Every time we crucify the flesh, we crucify our pride and arrogance.

Richard J. Foster

Mean, Pride, Discipline

Let's discipline ourselves so that our words are few and full.

Richard J. Foster

Discipline, Our Words

Richard J. Foster (1995*). “Richard Foster's treasury of Christian discipline”, Jossey-Bass

Absolute freedom is absolute nonsense! We gain freedom in anything through commitment, discipline, and fixed habit.

Richard J. Foster

Commitment, Discipline, Gains

Silence is one of the deepest Disciplines of the Spirit, simply because it puts the stopper on all self-justificat ion

Richard J. Foster

Self, Ions, Discipline

If we are silent when we should speak, we are not living the Discipline of silence. If we speak when we should be silent, we again miss the mark.

Richard J. Foster

Discipline, Missing, Silence

Richard J. Foster (1995*). “Richard Foster's treasury of Christian discipline”, Jossey-Bass

You see, we need instruction on how to possess money without being possessed by money. We need help to learn how to own things without treasuring them. We need the discipline that will allow us to live simply while managing great wealth and power.

Richard J. Foster

Discipline, Needs, Helping

Richard J. Foster (1995*). “Richard Foster's treasury of Christian discipline”, Jossey-Bass

Without the cross the Discipline of Confession would be merely therapeutic. But it is so much more. It involves an objective [a better word would have been "metaphysical"] change in our relationship with God and a subjective change in us. It is a means of healing and transforming the inner spirit.

Richard J. Foster

Healing, Mean, Discipline