I believe spiritual practices are like a map leading to a priceless treasure. Yet this distinction is essential: they are not the treasure. However, the emphasis on spiritual practices is sometimes so enormous that we wind up confusing the treasure map for the treasure.
There’s an ancient story about a person whose deepest longing was to live in intimate union with God, and thus he wished to know what spiritual practices were essential. One day he approached a wise and holy hermit and posed the question to him.
Without hesitation the hermit replied, “There are two things you must know:
The first is that all of your efforts are of no avail.
The second is that you must live as if you did not know the first.”
A few summers ago my wife and I were vacationing on the North Carolina coast. We had eaten lunch when Lucie announced her plans to take an afternoon nap. Meanwhile, I headed for the door saying, “I’m going to work on my tan.” Immediately I heard her snicker, so, spinning around quickly, I asked her, “Why did you snicker?”
“Oh, I didn’t snicker,” she responded innocently.
“Yes you did. I heard you. What did I say that was so funny?”
“Well, if you insist. When you said that you were ‘going to work on your tan’ I couldn’t help wondering, Where does the ‘work’ come in come in?”
Capable of being defensive on the best of days, I began my argument: “Well for starters, I have at least two hundred yards to walk, and it’s terribly hot. I have to carry a chair, and you don’t just plop down anywhere. You have to pay attention to the angle of the sun. Then there’s getting undressed and applying the lotion.” To be truthful, I impressed myself with my well-reasoned rebuttal, that is, until she turned again and began heading for the bedroom, saying through her laughter as she walked, “You head on back to work then. But don’t get too tired! What you’re going to do certainly sounds like difficult work.”
If I had to declare a winner, I’d say it was a tie. We were both correct. She was correct in implying that there was not much work involved. I was correct when I insisted that there was work involved.
Therefore, the life God uniquely designed for us to live and for which our hearts naturally yearn cannot be achieved by means of our own effort, no matter how disciplined we may be. Nonetheless, spiritual practices are the ways and means of being in on and participating in our spiritual formation, which God alone is capable of accomplishing.
Join the Conversation
How about you? Have you experienced the “working on your tan” paradox of the spiritual disciplines?
How do you live in the tension between effort and surrender?
 Fil Anderson is Executive Director of Journey Resources, based in Greensboro, North Carolina. He’s a frequent speaker at conferences, offers individual spiritual direction, and directs retreats and workshops around the country. He's the author of two books, Running on Empty: Contemplative Spirituality for Overachievers and Breaking the Rules: Trading Performance for Intimacy with God.
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