The Christian life involves a number of different aspects. Among the key ones are

Fellowship with God
Our relationships with others
Obedience to God's commands
Discipline

The Goal

Christianity is about personal relationships: with God and with others. When Jesus was asked to summarize his religion, he said that it was loving God and our neighbor. Everything else is a means to that end.

One of the most important terms for Christians is "fellowship". This term covers our life together as Christians. This means first of all that we spend time together, in worship, educational activities, service to others, and just having fun. In addition to their primary goal, these activities help us get to know each other, and to develop into a community. The Bible refers to the Christian community using organic metaphors, such as a vine and a body. It talks about us sharing with each other and supporting each other.

While rules should never be the focus of Christian life, they do exist. Many people find it hard to understand any kind of self-discipline and any kind of limits on behavior. But Christians do avoid some things in order to allow a deeper and more joyful kind of fellowship. The specific things they avoid will tend to vary over time, depending upon the circumstances.

MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

Prayer

Among the major components of the Christian life are prayer, repentance, discipline, study, service, and evangelism.

Repentance

The term "repent" means "to turn around". It is our response when we realize that we have done something wrong, or when we recognize an attitude or approach that is not in line with what God would have.

Repentance is important because we are imperfect. One of the major goals for Christian life is to weaken the hold of sin on us, and to bring our lives into line with God's will for us. It would be wonderful to think that we make regular progress, without setbacks. But much of our growth occurs when we realize we've done something wrong, or that there is something that we need to change.

Study

Study is a part of Christian life, because spiritual growth is one of the main goals.

Discipline

Christian life doesn't happen by accident. It requires planning and a consistent approach. Repentance is particularly difficult for most of us. We find it difficult to face our faults, and also to admit them to others. This means that if we don't take specific precautions, we're likely to "forget" to do it. These precautions are referred to as "discipline."

There are a number of different approaches to discipline. Most of them are based on regular scheduling. Christians generally set aside specific times each day for prayer and study, both individually and as a family. These times should include a serious review of our lives, so that we can recognize when we need to repent. They should include prayer. They should normally include some kind of study or opportunity for growth. For Protestants this normally means systematic Bible study, and often some other kind of devotional reading.