An interesting story often shared from R. Kent Hughes's book, Disciplinas de un hombre piadoso ( Disciplines of a Godly Man
), is his personal journey into tennis as a metaphor for spiritual life. The Story of the "Tennis Bum"
Before entering the seventh grade, Hughes wandered away from a baseball field and picked up a tennis racket for the first time. He describes becoming instantly hooked, eventually calling himself a "ten-year-old tennis bum".
The Obsession: His passion was so intense that he would hold tennis balls just to sniff their "rubbery fragrance" and found the sound of a sweetly hit ball in the quiet morning "symphonic".
The Discipline: He spent all his hoarded savings on a high-quality Davis Imperial tennis racket—a treasure he loved so much that he actually took it to bed with him.
The Sacrifice: To become a player, he practiced every day after school and every weekend, enduring "blistering black tennis courts, hot feet, and salty sweat". The Core Message
Hughes uses this story to illustrate that discipline is not a burden but a necessity for excellence. Just as an athlete strips away everything that hinders their performance, a godly man must "strip himself to a lean, spiritual nakedness" to excel in the things of God.
His famous "no-nonsense" mantra from the book encapsulates this idea:
"No manliness, no maturity! No discipline, no discipleship! No sweat, no sainthood!". Why the Book was Written for Men
Interestingly, the book itself has a backstory: Hughes's wife, Barbara, encouraged him to write a book specifically for men because she believed men needed the challenge of spiritual discipline more than women. When he originally preached these topics to his congregation, the women often "elbowed the old guy next to them" as the points hit home.
goodreads.com/book/show/213441.Disciplines_of_a_Godly_Man">purity or fatherhood? AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more
El libro " Las disciplinas de un hombre piadoso " de R. Kent Hughes es una guía fundamental para el crecimiento espiritual masculino, centrada en el principio de que la piedad requiere un esfuerzo intencional y disciplinado, similar al entrenamiento de un atleta. Hughes distingue claramente entre la disciplina (que se centra en Dios y nace del amor) y el legalismo (que se centra en uno mismo y busca ganar méritos). Estructura y Disciplinas Clave
El autor organiza el contenido en áreas vitales de la vida de un hombre, desafiándolo a "sudar" espiritualmente para alcanzar la santidad: Go to product viewer dialog for this item. Las Disciplinas De Un Hombre Piadoso por Kent Hughes
1. The Discipline of the Mind (Curating the Input)
Hughes argues that a godly man does not let his mind drift like a boat without oars. He steers it.
The Lifestyle Application: Entertainment today is a firehose. If you watch a thriller full of revenge fantasies at 10:00 PM, your mind doesn't shut that off at 10:02. You take that into your prayer time. You take that into your marriage.
The Challenge: Start a "Media Sabbath." One day a week—or even just one evening a week—turn off the streaming services. Replace that time with a biography of a missionary or a theological podcast. Hughes would say that what you feed your mind is what you will worship.
6. Generosidad y mayordomía
- Qué es: Dar tiempo, talento y recursos para la obra de Dios y el bienestar de otros.
- Cómo practicar: Presupuesta un porcentaje fijo para dar; dedica horas al servicio voluntario.
- Beneficio: Desprende el corazón del materialismo y expresa confianza en la provisión de Dios.
2. Disciplina de la Oración
Hughes admite que la oración es la disciplina más difícil. Pero sin ella, todas las demás se derrumban. El hombre piadoso tiene un lugar, una hora y un plan para orar. No espera sentir ganas; ora aunque esté “frío”.
Las disciplinas de un hombre piadoso — Kent Hughes (reflexión)
Kent Hughes, en su enfoque pastoral práctico, presenta las disciplinas de un hombre piadoso como hábitos intencionales que forman el carácter espiritual y sostienen una vida de fe activa. A continuación una entrada de blog breve y aplicable que resume y aplica esas disciplinas.