Well-directed activities that are under the personal supervision of Christ

 

Spiritual formation in Christlikeness is the sure outcome of well-directed activities that are under the personal supervision of Christ and are sustained by all of the instrumentalities of his grace. This aching world is waiting for the people explicitly identified with Christ to be, through and through, the people he intends them to be. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” is possible (Colossians 1:27, NIV). Christ can live in all the dimensions of you. God’s grace will do it, but God wants your cooperation. 

TODAY’S EXPERIMENT - Consider how God may be leading you as you’ve worked through this book to focus your mind on the things of Christ—to examine the ideas and images you picture there; to ponder Scripture in a slow, full way; to read material that stretches you; to memorize a passage that describes who you need to be.  

Consider how God is leading you to examine where you routinely let your feelings dwell—to investigate what ideas and images guide your feelings; to cultivate feelings of faith, hope, and love, which build the underlying conditions of love, joy, and peace. 

Consider how God is leading you to examine your character based on what automatically slips out without your thinking about it—to explore where you are on the continuum of identifying your will with God’s (surrender, abandonment, contentment, participation in accomplishing God’s will in our world); to ask God what spiritual disciplines would help you align your will with his. 

Consider how God is leading you to review what you discovered about what your body is poised to do—to walk through the steps of releasing your body to God if you did not do so and to review it if you did; to admit ways you have idolized your body or misused it to dominate or manipulate others; to arrange your life for rest and Sabbath. 

Consider how God is leading you in your social dimension—to review your sense of ease or lack of ease at being reciprocally rooted in others; to admit the routine ways of attack and withdrawal you have continued to discover about yourself; to pray that God will work “genuine love” in you.  

Consider how God is leading you to review the kinds of things you routinely say to your soul and that your soul cries out—to abandon outcomes in humility to God; to embrace the teachings of Scripture (law) as sweetness and light.