The Gifts

What if the greatest spiritual practice is letting Jesus love you?

For thousands of years, followers of Jesus have used spiritual practices to help them grow in experiencing and trusting him, modeled after the practices of Jesus himself. Some are Gifts of Being, like solitude, silence, fasting, or sabbath. They help us slow down, giving space and time to enjoy God himself and listen to his voice. If you lean toward the Rockface of Striving, these might be very powerful for you. Some are Gifts of Engagement, like prayer, worship, service, and fellowship. They help us step in, intentionally directing our time, talents and treasures toward loving God and others. If you lean toward the Field of Passivity, these gifts might impact you more deeply.

Tal and friends discovered something that surprised them though: the very practices meant to deepen their experience of God could become weapons the enemy used against them. This is the subtle danger of spiritual practices—they can slowly shift from expressions of love to attempts at earning, from ways of receiving grace to methods of achieving righteousness. If we lean towards the Rockface, we'll double down on these practices to prove our worthiness. If we lean toward the Field, we'll avoid or downplay spiritual practices all together.

But here's what Tal, Aran, and Gia learned: the problem wasn't with the Gifts themselves but with the voice they were listening to while practicing them. When the Shamesong narrated spiritual life, prayer became performance, and service became striving. But when the Windsong guided the practices, they became what they were always meant to be: rhythms of grace that help us remember who we are and whose we are. Remember: the Gifts don't change your identity—they help you experience it.

Reflection Questions:

1. Which spiritual practices feel more impactful to you: Gifts of Being, or Gifts of Engagement?
2. What would it look like to approach spiritual practices as ways of receiving rather than achieving?
3. What is one spiritual practice you could step into this week to experience God?