4. Discover opportunities to teach.
One of the very best and earliest disciplines for my spiritual growth involved teaching—Sunday school classes, small groups and eventually courses at two different colleges.
Most teachers will tell you that you never learn more than when you prepare to teach others. If you don’t enjoy teaching, or do not believe you are gifted in that area, engage in some form of study or education that forces you to dig deep into subjects.
I have found this also to be true while working on three college/seminary degrees.
5. Cultivate a rhythm of writing.
Similar to teaching, writing forces you to integrate and clarify ideas. Develop a regular pattern of writing; perhaps begin to blog or post notes on Facebook where others have the opportunity to read and respond, or maybe simply start to journal for your own edification.
Regardless, create some avenue to write on a daily, or at least weekly, basis.
6. Don’t allow a critical spirit to foster.
Further, don’t confuse a prophetic calling with a critical spirit.
A prophet sees what is wrong and calls it out for the purpose of having things change for the better. A critical spirit is simply that—critical, condemning and cynical.
Nothing is gained by being critical of someone in ministry that does things differently than you do. A critical spirit serves no one.
I am not sure if this adage originated with Alan Hirsch, but I heard it first from him: “The best critique of the bad is the practice of the better.” We would all do well to repeat that to ourselves at least once a day.
