As I posted earlier, I looked into Robert Mulholland’s book, Shaped by the Word. I am only three chapters in, but I must recommend this book thus far.
Today, I was reading in the third chapter, “The Nature of Spiritual Formation.” Two main things I have drawn out of this chapter to meditate on throughout the day today are:
- I have built-in tendency to avoid spiritual disciplines because the culture around me conditions me to see immediate results, and
- The spiritual formation which occurs in me (whether positively or negatively) shows through my relationship with others.
On the first thought, I realized the very simple truth that I put very small value on spiritual disciplines because I can’t see immediate results. Intellectually, I know they are valuable and necessary to move in the right direction with how my person is formed, but in practice, I don’t see quick and easy results. The time is easily replaced with other more important tasks which show their results in the now.
On the latter thought, I cannot think of a better judge of whether or not I am being conformed to Christ’s image or the world’s image than how I treat other people. Treat is even a bad word… how I relate to other persons. The two greatest commandments are to love the lord your god with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Mulholland suggests a feasible translation (especially in light of other passages including 1 John 1) would be that another way to look at loving god with all your heart is to love your neighbor as yourself.
My life has been off-center for some time, and while I don’t look to books and such to “save” me, I can say the thoughts provoked by Mulholland’s book may just be the instigater to move me to action… finally. To take spiritual formation as seriously in practice, as I do in my “philosophy” of life.
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