Spiritual Practices: Training to Become Like Jesus

Most of us want to become more like Jesus.

We want to be more patient with our families, more compassionate towards others, more generous, more peaceful, and more deeply rooted in our faith.

But transformation rarely happens by good intentions alone.

If you've ever wanted to get fitter, learn an instrument or improve your surfing, you'll know that growth comes through practice. The same is true of our spiritual lives. We don't accidentally become like Jesus - we are formed by the rhythms we build into our everyday lives.

John Mark Comer, in Practicing the Way, describes these rhythms as spiritual practices. They're not religious rules or boxes to tick. They're habits that create space for God to transform us from the inside out.

Jesus Himself lived this way.

He regularly withdrew to quiet places to pray. He rested. He fasted. He immersed Himself in Scripture. He shared meals, lived in community, served others, and forgave freely.

If our desire is to become like Jesus, then it makes sense to practise the things that shaped His life.

Here are a few practices worth intentionally building into your week.

Create space with God

Silence and solitude teach us to slow down. In a noisy world, choosing even a few minutes of quiet helps us listen for God's voice instead of constantly reacting to everyone else's.

Scripture is more than something to read; it's something to dwell in. Rather than rushing through a chapter, try lingering over a few verses. Ask God what He wants to say and how He is inviting you to respond.

Prayer isn't reserved for church or emergencies. It can become a rhythm throughout the day - simple conversations with God as you drive, surf, work or walk.

Fasting reminds us that our deepest hunger isn't physical but spiritual. It teaches dependence on God instead of ourselves.

Create rhythms of trust

Sabbath is perhaps one of the most counter-cultural practices we can embrace. Setting aside one day each week to stop working, rest, worship and delight in God is an act of trust. It reminds us that God is sustaining the world - not us.

Create habits of love

Following Jesus is never just about our relationship with God; it's also about how we love people.

Practise living in authentic community. Share life with others. Encourage one another. Pray together. Be known.

Choose generosity, even when no one notices. Give quietly. Serve without recognition. These hidden acts shape humble hearts.

And keep practising forgiveness. Not because it's easy, but because forgiven people become forgiving people.

None of these practices earn God's love.

Instead, they position us to receive His grace and allow the Holy Spirit to reshape our hearts over time.

The goal isn't to complete another spiritual checklist.

The goal is to become the kind of person who naturally lives and loves like Jesus.

So perhaps the question isn't, "How is my soul?" in our last blog post.

Perhaps the better question is:

What practices are shaping the person I'm becoming?