Spiritual formation ∙∙

Spiritual formation ∙∙

Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment. – 1 Peter 2:2

Ephesians 4:15 We are to grow up in every way into Christ, who is the head.

2 Peter 1:3-8

3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need to live a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

 5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,

 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,

 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

 8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter Pan was not into spiritual formation. He wanted to avoid any kind of development at all. He had no desire to grow up and become an adult. His goal was to remain forever a child in Never, Never Land.

I won’t grow up; I don’t want to go to school.

Just to learn to be a parrot, and recite a silly rule.

If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I’ll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up

Not me!

I won’t grow up; I don’t want to wear a tie.

Or a serious expression in the middle of July.

And if it means I must prepare

To shoulder burdens with a worried air,

I’ll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up

Not me, not I, not me! So there!

We won’t grow up! We will never grow a day

And if someone tries to make it

We will simply run away

I promise that I won’t

No, I promise that I won’t

I will stay a boy forever and be banished if I don’t

What is Christian spiritual formation?

Spiritual formation is the process of developing and growing the spiritual aspect of our personality. For children of the King, spiritual formation is becoming more like Christ. Spiritual formation is a relatively new term. It may be unfamiliar to some believers, but it can be better understood as “maturing spiritually,” “growing in grace,” “becoming sanctified,” or “walking with Christ,”

The Holy Spirit is responsible for facilitating spiritual growth in our lives through spiritual formation. The word of God serves as the bedrock of this process. Studying it and reflecting upon it is at the heart of spiritual formation.

The journey of spiritual formation begins with comprehending the teachings of the Bible and their significance. Once these teachings are understood, they aid in fostering and enhancing the process of mental renewal.

There is no alternative for embracing and internalizing the Father’s timeless truth. This leads to convictions about correct thought and actions. Extraordinarily and inexplicably, an inner compulsion to adhere to the Father’s Word develops within our hearts. It is this conviction that acts as the source of confidence and passion. It is the fountainhead from which all else flows.

REFLECT & PRAY

Spiritual growth is the process of becoming more mature in one’s relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Someone growing spiritually will become more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ.

Father thank You for working to grow me up. Spiritual formation is Your personal goal for me and each child of the King.

INSIGHT

Many children of the King fall in love with His truth. The more time spent in it, the more beautiful and delightful it becomes. There is nothing else like it on planet Earth. Consider your favorite meal and the joy it brings you; that’s the kind of relationship many of the King’s children have developed with the Word of God over time. Once this bond is formed, there is no going back.

Psalms 19:10 They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.

Spiritual formation cannot be rushed. Spiritual development is a lifelong journey. The natural world around us showcases this process and growth. The more complex and advanced the organism, the longer its growth process. The Father is working for eternity. It is not our concern how much time is involved or how long the process takes. That is totally in His hands.

Many newcomers to faith experience an initial surge of enthusiasm and embark on a rapid spiritual journey. However, this pace doesn’t last. The Father Himself adjusts the tempo.

“When God wants to make an oak, He takes a hundred years, but when He wants to make a squash, He takes six months” (Strong).

Spiritual formation often follows a seasonal pattern. Much can be learned from observing the annual rings of a tree. Some years are marked by significant growth, others not so much. So it is with the children of the King. During the slow times, growth is solidified and strengthened, often through testing and even severe drought.

“Growth is not a uniform thing in the tree or in the Christian. In some single months there is more growth than in all the year besides. During the rest of the year, however, there is solidification, without which the green timber would be useless. The period of rapid growth, when the woody fiber is actually deposited between the bark and the trunk, occupies but four to six weeks in May, June, and July” (Strong).

The Father’s methods involve time and a variety of techniques that are all necessary for spiritual development. “The Husbandman’s method for true spiritual growth involves pain as well as joy, suffering as well as happiness, failure as well as success, inactivity as well as service, death as well as life . . .” (Sanford).

Spiritual growth and transformation are not based upon our striving to get something we do not have. Instead, it is based on the knowledge, acceptance, and reckoning upon what is already ours.

We develop a childlike faith and trust and simply rest in the Father’s loving care, being confident that he who began a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

Biblical spiritual formation is about actively engaging with the Father in His ongoing work in our lives. Our determination, fortitude, and character are often put to the test. The journey may not always be smooth sailing; sometimes, it may seem impossible. Spiritual formation is not determined by the size of the task; it is determined by the amount of effort one puts into the task.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going (John Wooden).

Never, Never Land should be a distant memory. After all, it was a fairytale for children.

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© Dr. H 2024