More thoughts on spiritual formation

Spiritual formation is not simply for the spiritual elite. Actually, preachers, teachers, elders, and others who are sometimes viewed as such are normal people, like everyone else. Some have ventured farther on their spiritual journey than others, but growing into Christlikeness is for all Christians. God predetermined and foreordained that we would all become like Jesus (Romans 8:29). Paul strove mightily among the Galatian churches to encourage and assit their becoming like Christ (Galatians 4:19). The journey to become like Jesus takes patience, determination, and most of all grace. God brings us along teaching and changing us as we go.

Spiritual formation is not going to happen the same way or in the same time for everyone. It is not a cookie cutter approach that God takes, but He hand-crafts each one of us, carefully using His Spirit, His word, other Christians, and life's experiences to bring us to be like Jesus.

Spiritual disciplines are important to the process, but they are not to be turned into another legalistic works oriented list of things to do that only result in guilt. Allow the Spirit of God to work in you. Don't resist the Spirit, or even quench the Spirit, but simply cooperate with and submit to the Holy Spirit. He will bring us where He wants us to be.

Comments

  1. Luke PostJune 26, 2009 at 10:46 PM

    Good post, Brother Terry. I especially like the point that spiritual formation doesn't happen the same way for everyone. Does this imply that some disciplines/practices are less effective, perhaps unnecessary for certain individuals? If so, which disciplines are essential for everyone and which are optional?

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  2. AnonymousJune 29, 2009 at 10:01 AM

    Good question. And do you think God leads some people into certain disciplines & some into other disciplines?

    Brad

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  3. TerryJune 29, 2009 at 2:56 PM

    Great questions! Remember the purpose of the disciplines is to bring us to Christlikeness. The ideal is that rather than treating disciplines as workouts done at specific times with certain numbers of repititions, we become the kind of person who very naturally does things that enhance our relationship with our Lord and our fellow man. We become one who lives out spiritual activities without having to plan it out and think it through.

    That being said, a person who lives a simplistic, nonmaterialistic, uncomplicated, and uncluttered lifestyle, is naturally living out the very discipline of simplicity that I personally need to focus on and ask God to help me with in my life.

    I know a dear brother who is inclined to pursue and practice the inner disciplines, but admittedly needs to grow in the outward disciplines that create relationships, and touch lives serving within his community. He is often experienced, adept, and interested in some disciplines, but often finds others difficult, and therefore, avoids or rejects them. Jesus was well balanced, and in following Him, we should become balanced in our spiritual activities.

    Journaling is included on some lists of spiritual disciplines. While it is doubtful that Jesus journaled, journaling can be very helpful and rewarding in our spiritual journey. But to some, journaling may be so painful, that it only brings guilt to the one who constantly fails in the effort.

    One may grow in their relationship with Christ through complete open, unrehearsed, and unstructured prayer as they pour their hearts out to God. Another may find using the prayers in scripture or those recorded of saints who've lived in centuries past brings them into intimacy with God.

    Some get up before dawn to practice quiet time with the Lord, while others are not morning people at all, and find the attempts at early morning devotion next to impossible.

    We are all different. We have differing personalities, gifts, histories, needs, perceptions, and makeups. God knows us and will work in us to form our spirits to be like Jesus. The path will likely be different for each one. In different times, in varying life experiences, and in a wide range of spiritual activities, God will work in us.

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  4. AMDJune 29, 2009 at 3:55 PM

    Thanks for your good points and insight and encouragement in this.

    If someone is just beginning to incorporate spiritual disciples into their life for the first time, is there a way they might guard against these disciplines going the way of "New Year's resolutions" with a shelf-life of 2-3 months? Like you said, there are no hard and fast rules and everyone is different, but do you have any practical suggestions based on your experience or observation of others on how to gain and maintain momentum in these growth efforts? For example, would you recommend having a partner (either to do them with or to meet with regularly to discuss the progress or outcome)? Do you think it wise to start small (tackle 1 or 2 disciplines at first) and, as you grow and they start coming to you more naturally, to add in others?

    Thanks!

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  5. AnonymousJune 29, 2009 at 9:00 PM

    I find that we like to talk about the disciplines & we are fascinated by their effects to some degree, but our practice often collapses into compulsion. Our practice of the disciplines often becomes just another compulsive category of our lives—we desire compulsively, we eat compulsively, we work compulsively, and, when we come to the disciplines, we find that they too can be another fuel to keep our compulsive engines running. Feeling down? Eat. Feeling worthless? Work. Feeling dry? Fantasize. Feeling bored? Watch a movie. Feeling “not good enough”? Pray, Read, Fast, Serve…
    What would life look like without compulsion? What if we could live from a different source? What if “fountains of living water” from the Spirit is a reality we can enjoy? If so, it must involve escaping the cycles of compulsion—the roller coaster of our lives. Living from another Source implies the formation of a unique, “hand-crafted” soul. With the Spirit as our guide, our lives will likely involve different combinations of the disciplines. However, to follow Him, we must be willing to go beyond our compulsive cycles to exhibit the “strange” behavior of a disciple….our time “in the desert”, our nights “on the mountain”…and, in a society where we don’t learn how to meditate, wait in prayer, or fast, we typically need to develop a few skills in preparation for moving with the life of God… we need the skills typically before we can envision a “soulish” life / life with God…this is where “training programs” & focused retreats come in…tearing down the walls of compulsion and opening the paths of skill to let the water flow…
    mp

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  6. OliviaJune 30, 2009 at 3:53 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. AnonymousJune 30, 2009 at 4:00 PM

    I deleted that last post just because I was trying to change it from saying Olivia Medlock
    :-)...anyway...

    I am wondering if there is a way to do the disciplines that might look like "compulsion" but that is actually living more in tune with the Spirit? Matt, are you saying there are certain discplines ("a few skills" ex. "meditate, wait in prayer or fast") that we should be practicing continuously before we vary the others?

    Olivia POST :-)

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  8. Ryan ConnorJune 30, 2009 at 10:09 PM

    This is wonderful! I'm so glad to see your blog generating some good discussion.

    And, Yes! Amen! God works with us and in us to make us "like" the Son. I love Richard Foster's illustration of the spiritual life drawn from Galatians 6:8. Paul said, "For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life" (ESV). I might summarize Foster's point on this vers: Sowing to the spirit is a garden analogy. You don't just go out one day and throw a seed on the ground and say, "Give me some fruit!" No, we must plant the seed in good ground; perhaps, cultivating the ground first. Then, we must water and weed the soil where the seed is planted. Then, when we have provided the necessary conditions, the seed grows and bears fruit. But, just as the earthly seed grows by God's power and grace, so the one who sows to the Spirit must ultimately rely on God's power and grace to reap that harvest of everlasting and abundant life. Our part is to provide the necessary conditions for growth. God gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Since it is God's power and grace that make people grow in the spiritual life, then it only makes sense that everyone may live the life, and no one may claim to elite spiritual status on any other basis than God's grace.

    Thanks for generating the discussion and getting me thinking too.

    Peace and all good!

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  9. TerryJuly 1, 2009 at 11:12 PM

    Thanks everyone! Stimulating discussion. To Aaron- Whatever you do, do not take on so many disciplines that might end up discouraging you or creating a sense of guilt or failure.

    Begin practicing disciplines that you feel you particularly need, or that might help your initial plan to grow. We must have a vision of where we want to go (grow). Try disciplines that are in line with clearl defined steps that lead to clearly defined areas of growth.

    Here are some simple ideas. I have a desire to experience the abiding prsence of Jesus in my life with greater consistency. One discipline I practice is to breath deeply in silence for a few moments. When I inhale, I say or think "more of you, Jesus" and when I exhale, I say or think, "less of me."

    Another idea is to find a brief passage related to my goal. For example, I may recite or pray, "the Lord is near."

    Also, I sing songs like "Be with Me Lord," "Lord I'm Amazed by You," and "As the Deer."

    These are simple exercises that help keep my desire of acknowledging and experiencing the presence of Jesus with me throughout the day.

    Also, I greatly appreciate Matt's thoughts regarding learning to live by another source greater than our own life. I'd love to have you elaborate more on this.

    Terry

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