A couple of years ago, I read an article by Dallas Willard entitled “Spiritual Formation in Christ.” In it, he states that certain spiritual activities can be training for someone’s spiritual life by agencies involved in the kingdom of God, especially the Word of God.[1] I thought this concept was unfamiliar to me until I realized that every Pastor I have heard has preached some aspect of this principle. We need to have a relationship with God. Being in the Word helps to renew our Spirit and mind. Having a Mentor/Mentee relationship with those around us allows us to become more Christlike. These activities are all tied to our Spiritual Formation.
We accomplish Spiritual Formation when we, as individuals, are willing participants or vessels, allowing the Holy Spirit to come to us, speak to us, and through us. We actively seek a relationship with God. It is more than just reading your Bible, attending church, and talking to friends about God. So how do we accomplish this?
First, we must choose to rely on Christ and God, our Father, who by nature is relational. God did not want us to do things alone. Ginger Harrington states in her book Holy in the Moment, “When we rely on Christ and choose God’s ways right here, right now in the minute, God will change our lives one day at a time.”[2] We must make the conscious choice to be formed into more Christlike beings.
Second, it is not enough to read our Bibles; we need to meditate on every Word, engaging in contemplation or reflection. For example, I use mindfulness to help renew my mind and absorb what I am reading. The Bible reflects our daily struggles. It is full of flawed people who were spiritually transformed into more Christlike beings. In this way, it is our guide toward spiritual Formation.
Third, we must understand the gifts which we have been given to us by the Holy Spirit. Over the years, I have learned what my spiritual gifts are. God gifted each of us in different areas, and when we bring together the collective gifts within a congregation, we are indeed the Body of Christ, doing the Lord’s will. We are acting in Godly relationships, which Jesus teaches as two of the greatest commandments (Mark 12:29-31 NIV). As I read in the article “Christian Spiritual Formation” by Wilson Teo, true believers will naturally fulfill the commitments of Spiritual Formation, making a lifestyle change because of their developed relationships with God, self, and others as they act and behave in Christlikeness.[3] Spiritual Formation is relational. The events in our lives, our relationships with God, and our interactions with one another all impact our growth significantly.
In their article “The Wisdom of Christian Spiritual Formation,” James C. Wilhoit and Evan B. Howard states, “it is a process of real engagement through relationships, practices, trials, and the like, undertaken with a degree of commitment and intentionality.”[4] The basic underlining theme of Spiritual Formation is a Journey to the Shores: the shores of heaven. May the Holy Spirit guide us as we become more Christ-life and grow in Word, deeds, and relationships.
[1]Willard, Dallas. “Spiritual Formation in Christ: A Perspective on What it is and How it Might be Done” Journal of Psychology & Theology 2000, Vol. 28, No. 4, 254-258
[2] Ginger Harrington, Holy in the Moment, (Nashville, TN: The United Methodist Publishing House, 2018), 19
[3] Willson Tao, “Christian Spiritual Formation” Emerging Leadership Journeys, Regent University School of Business and Leadership 2017, Vol 10 Iss. 1, 138-150
[4] James Wilhoit and Evan B. Howard, “The Wisdom of Christian Spiritual Formation,” Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care 2020, Vol 13(1), 5-21