Introduction to the Devout Life

At his trial, the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates famously proclaimed: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates had observed the daily activity of the people of Athens and how they moved thoughtlessly from one activity to the next to fulfill a commitment, a need, or a desire. He pleaded with them to examine their hearts, find their God-given purpose in life, and pursue virtue. Athens wasn’t interested. They thought he was corrupting the youth, so they decided to kill him. A purposeful life of virtue, or holiness in God’s sight, was not what the Athenian pagan world wanted to hear, so they cancelled him.

A few decades ago, we called it, “The Rat Race.” We were driven along by society’s relentless marketing to buy, do, and claw our way up the economic and social ladders; no one questioned it. Today, we are driven by other forces expecting us to do similar things, worse things, and most people thoughtlessly listen and act. Sadly, so are some Christians.

God has always called us to a higher, purposeful, and abundant life. A life centered upon God’s words, God’s love, God’s righteousness, God’s forgiveness, God’s peace in Christ, and God’s presence in our lives through the indwelling Holy Spirit. And many Christians over the millennia, similar to Socrates’ dedication to virtue, dedicated themselves to understanding how to live the holy life Christ calls us to when He said, and still says, “Come, follow Me.”

How to live that holy life, or more specifically how to intentionally dedicate oneself to following Christ, has historically been called Devotion. It is a life of loving devotion to Christ, one that is centered around Christ, and one that is in union with Christ. The Devotion practiced in the early Church had fallen out of general popularity within a century following the Reformation. But it has gained increasing interest and adoption over the past fifty years across a wide spectrum of Christian churches. Why? Many Christians want a closer and deeper relationship with Christ, but they have not been taught how to find it. They know the Gospel. They read their Bibles. They pray. They are active in their churches. But like countless believers before them, they have a nagging sense deep in their soul that there is more to the Christian life than they have learned so far; that there is a path that goes “higher up and further in.” The path the Apostles followed.

Fortunately, the practice of Devotion had been summarized by St. Francis de Sales, the Catholic Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church, in his book Introduction to the Devout Life, originally published in 1609. It is a collection of letters he wrote to the hundreds of people who actively sought him out for spiritual direction. Consequently, it is primarily a Catholic resource, but much of what he writes about is for all who love and want to “Live Jesus,” as he emphatically states:

“I wish to inscribe on your heart this holy and sacred maxim:
Live Jesus!

His book is unique for he writes from his heart to the reader’s heart. He summarizes the ancient spiritual growth practices of the Church, leads his readers, whom he calls Philothea which means ” lover of God,” through a thorough examination of their heart regarding many practical and biblical aspects of faith, prayer, confession of sin, life, personal motivations, and virtues. He provides daily, weekly, monthly, and annual strategies for staying centered on Christ as we go about our everyday lives.

Simply put, the Introduction will transform the reader’s heart. Every person whom I’ve had the pleasure of leading through a study of the Introduction, at some point spontaneously admits: “I wish I read this book many years ago.” Why? Because they would have made better decisions, experienced less grief, had more peace, and lived a more abundant life for Christ.

Non-Catholics should note that the Introduction’s purpose isn’t to teach Catholic doctrine. As expected, it does mention Catholic practices, particularly in the first section. Yet, his meditations in the first section are unapologetically blunt, but characteristically gracious, about the eternal heaven or hell decision we make by choosing or rejecting Christ. Consequently, this is a timeless resource for all Christians and a refreshing break from the much of the watered-down teaching we often hear today.

This version of the book is a fresh new translation by the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales from the original French 5th edition of 1619. I am the General Editor of the U.S. Standard English Edition.

Rob Oberto, D.Min, is the award-winning author of Intimacy with God and General Editor of the Introduction to the Devout Life, both are available from Amazon.

©2022 Rob Oberto, All Rights Reserved.

Gray-haired Heroes of Faith

SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER, I’ve been a discussion leader in the Alpha evangelism program on Thursday nights at our church. It’s an international program that’s been around since 1990. You probably know about it.

Each night participants streamed into the auditorium and made their way to their tables. Well, not all of them streamed-in. There were two people who struggled to swing their legs out of their car and then they’d wrestle with their walkers to get them out of the back seat. Once mobilized, they proceeded to, and I can’t think of a better term, ‘snail’ their way toward the front double doors where they’d noisily wrestle with each of those too. Others would usually come to their aid.

Eagle in flight above the clouds

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Suffering: A Good Opportunity for Spiritual Growth

Those closest to me keep encouraging me to write about navigating through suffering, disappointment, and discouragement. They think that because I have a nero-muscular disorder (see my post God is With Us In Our Pain), was diagnosed with cancer last November, and had surgery in March to end three years of suffering with a prostate condition, that I must be good at it. Good enough, anyway, to offer some insight and wisdom. But, frankly, I’d rather be known as a great rock-climber, surfer, or skydiver.

Its bad news (Essentials)

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Is Self-forgiveness Biblical?

Is God’s forgiveness enough, or does complete forgiveness require self-forgiveness? The biblical answer is: “God’s forgiveness completely absolves us of our sin.” Self-forgiveness, is not a biblical concept.

However, our emotions are quite real and we must distinguish between the efficacy of God’s forgiveness of sin and the management of our grief and self-condemnation. We receive His forgiveness, but we often have to work through our emotions.

Forgiveness Medicine

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External Humility

Pursuing Christlikeness was of paramount importance to committed believers in past centuries. Strategies for developing the fruit of the Spirit and Christlike virtue prompted much discussion and analysis, both verbal and written. They painstakingly considered all facets of these character qualities to determine how best to live them out in their daily lives. Quite frankly, many of them make us look like rank amateurs in comparison. We can learn much from them.

HumbleYourselves

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Ordering Your Private World (2017) – Review

I first read Gordon MacDonald’s Ordering Your Private World when it was originally released in 1984. He had been our pastor at Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts, for the prior two years where everyone affectionately called him Pastor Mac. Today, he is the chancellor at Denver Seminary. When the book was released, I was in the midst of frantic, high-pressured seminary training preparing for a life of ministry; which he had inspired me, and many others, to undertake.

OrderingPrivateWorld_300_600x392

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Pleading for a Miracle – John 4:30-54

The son of one of Herod’s royal officials was close to death. The official traveled 18 miles up to Cana in the hope of successfully pleading with Jesus to return with him to Capernaum to heal his son….

BeStronAndBelieve

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God’s Glory in Christ – John 1:1-34

God’s glorious presence filled the tabernacle that Moses built in the wilderness, and the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem. However, Jesus Christ is the supreme revelation of God’s glory. He is God in the flesh. In Him God dwelt, or, more accurately in the Greek, “tabernacled” among us. The love of God the Father, sent His Son, the eternal Word, into the world to give us true life and true light, and to baptize us with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus-Glory

Today, afresh, we can receive Him into our lives and so proclaim Jesus Christ as the glory of the One and Only Son. Today, afresh, we can proclaim that through our faith in Him, and by the Father’s will, we have been granted the right to be His adopted children.

May the glorious light and life of Christ be evident in all we do this day.

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Dr. Rob Oberto is the award-winning author of “Intimacy With God: Extraordinary miracles that opened a skeptic’s heart to God” available from Amazon.

©2017 Rob Oberto, All Rights Reserved.

To What Name Should We pray?

It’s popular to pray using some of the near 500 names, titles, and attributes of God found in the Bible. A study of these words is good and beneficial in furthering one’s understanding of God in the Old and New Testaments. For such a study, I highly recommend John Avery’s excellent book The Name Quest.1

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God is with us in our pain

I have a chronic neuro-muscular condition called Cervical Dystonia. I was diagnosed in 2014. Like a wrecking ball, it shattered my once active life. I used to fly us around the Pacific Northwest in our plane. I used to practice karate. I used to do a lot of things.

wrecked

This is the first time I’ve revealed my condition online. I’m doing it now because things just got worse. There are so few suffers of this rare condition that a support group must be international. Even then, there are only 2,500 members. Each major holiday we usually lose one or two to suicide. Most have unsupportive family and friends who say the most hurtful things to them. Some have no one, and no income. Tragically, they give up the fight.

I’m blessed to have a supportive, loving, and encouraging wife and family. I’m blessed to have Christ in my life. Some days, despite all my family’s love, only He can reach into the deep place in my heart that needs joy. Until He grants me healing, I join in His sufferings, and I follow His example: not my will, but His be done on earth as it is in heaven. Trust in Him is key, and so is leaning on His Word and not my own understanding.

One of the kindnesses of suffering — at least mine — is the quiet. Life is simple. The stress of managing multi-million dollar projects, for example, is gone. Many times, in that quiet, it is just God and me … and a lot of pain. I can have long quiet times. I can pray. I can reflect. I can write. I think that’s His will for me right now. I just released an updated and edited version of my book, and I have two writing projects scheduled for this year.

Due to the treatments to paralyze the affected neck muscles, I feel close to normal for three weeks out of ten, but then the slide downward begins all over again. It’s frustrating.

Hanging in there is vital. Things change and research continues on this condition. More doctors have become aware of it. Because it’s rare, many sufferers, like me, get misdiagnosed and mistreated for years. Last summer was difficult for me, but then in August a new doctor added something new to the treatments which has lessened the extreme symptoms. I’ll take it.

deepdive4This is the place from which I write. Through writing I try to comfort others with the comfort and hope I have received from Him. I want others to see the grandeur, greatness, gentleness, and compassion of God in Christ through the power and presence of His Holy Spirit. I want to encourage others to take a deep dive in their faith and to get closer to Christ. Ultimately, I hope to help Christians align their wills, thoughts, and hearts with His. This is what Jesus prayed for in the Upper Room when He prayed for unity.

Many times, I have asked God to remove this thorn in my flesh. He hasn’t yet. The Apostle Paul was right, God’s grace is sufficient and His power is perfected in weakness. Yet, I continue to ask for healing.

I have experienced healing and other miracles first hand over the years. For example, last week God worked radically in my wife’s career. God is good. We’ve been praying about her situation for two years.

Cervical DystoniaIn contrast, last week I developed a significant complication which is causing acute pain, stiffness, and more sleeplessness. I didn’t need this, but God is still good. Today, I get an MRI to determine exactly what’s going on in my neck and to see if there is anything the orthopedic surgeon can do about it.

Chronic illness is not fun. Despite it, my goal is to connect deeper with God and to follow Christ in His suffering. Did I mention how important it was to trust God and submit to His will?

God can instantly heal me if He chooses, but then would I get too busy and too distracted to write? I often wonder if has God painted me into this corner to do the one thing He wants me to do.

Jesus is calling you deeper in your relationship with Him.

Dr. Rob Oberto is the award-winning author of “Intimacy With God: Extraordinary miracles that opened a skeptic’s heart to God” available from Amazon.

©2017 Rob Oberto, All Rights Reserved.