WHAT IS SPIRITUAL FORMATION ALL ABOUT?

“Spiritual formation is for everyone. Just as there is an ‘outer you’ that is being formed and shaped all the time, like it or not, by accident or on purpose, so there is an ‘inner you.’ You have a spirit. And it’s constantly being shaped and tugged at: by what you hear and watch and say and read and think and experience.” – John Ortberg.

The moment of saying yes to Jesus is powerful.  You feel euphoria or total peace as you deeply experience God’s love. It’s a special moment. But after that moment, God invites us to work with Him, to co-operate with Him, and to enter into a life of practice and spiritual training to become like Christ. We do not automatically become like Jesus. It takes time, it takes practice, it takes suffering, it takes failure, it takes a life of trust, and it takes intentionality.

“Spiritual formation” is the process of sanctification in which God uses every circumstance in believers’ lives to become more like Jesus. So spiritual formation asks the question: who are we becoming?  If we are to become apprentices of Jesus, we have to intentionally model our lives, habits, and practices on Jesus. We can be transformed into who Jesus calls us, but this will require change or spiritual formation.  John Mark Comer says that Christian spiritual formation is “the process of being formed into a person of self-giving love through deepening surrender to and union with the Trinity.”

The Bible uses the metaphor of the potter and the clay. We, as believers, are the clay, and God is the potter forming us into a specific shape. We are formed by our circumstances, our family, our gifts, the choices we make, that habits we have, our relationships, the job we work at, in fact just about everything is forming us and shaping us into a certain shape. The same applies to our spiritual formation. Our lives, our habits, our choices, our environment, and our spiritual practices all give a kind of shape to our lives and the condition of our hearts.

Spiritual formation can be unintentional or intentional. As the name implies, unintentional spiritual development is shaped by life experiences, habits, relationships, and environment without conscious intention. But spiritual growth and becoming more mature in one’s relationship with Jesus Christ is intentional. Someone who is growing spiritually will become more and more like Christ.

The most practical and powerful way to move towards Christ-like maturity is to establish habits that promote spiritual growth. Most often, we call these habits “spiritual disciplines.” It is the consistent, faithful, and intentional pursuit of Christ that develops our character and makes us like Jesus. We must pay close attention to our spiritual lives because no one accidentally grows spiritually; it takes intentionality. Remember Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 4:7-8: “Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

Rather than passively let outside influences shape us, we are called, as apprentices of Jesus, to be intentional with our beliefs, habits, relationships, and experiences as we seek to curate our lives to grow in our love for Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

1. We can’t change our lives until we change what we do every day. Agree or disagree and why?
2. What beneficial habits are you developing in your life? Determine to do them daily.