The Girl Next Door ☎︎: A Book Look: Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered

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Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered

The book Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered gave me a lot of new insight on how a disciple of Christ can mature. There are so many important concepts that disciples should understand in order to grow in their relationship with Christ. This book highlights the need for God’s grace, a humble heart, living out the Word, a Christian community, service, and an accurate view of the cross.

Every disciple must understand the basic concepts of Christianity. Although these are the foundational truths every Christian should believe, they are very important and every believer must be reminded of them no matter their discipleship stage. Disciples need to understand their deep spiritual need in order to believe they need fixing. They need to be aware of their sin, longing for God, and growth from grace. In order to grow spiritually, disciples should live in complete brokenness so that they must rely on God’s grace instead of themselves. They should understand that their desire to sin is natural because of their desire for perfection and instant happiness. Some sins are so convenient and offer fast results. Finding joy in God takes time and effort, but it provides the longest lasting effects. The only way they can grow in the Lord is by constantly receiving grace, not constantly trying to earn it.

In spiritual formation, humility is key. Disciples must be open to what the Lord wants to do in their life and not let their selfishness get in the way. They must be humble and open. Not only must they be willing to hear what God says, but they must be in tune and willing to obey what God says. In order to become more like Christ, every believer must develop a teachable heart. This means that every disciple should confess their sins daily, agreeing before God they they sinned. No only should they repent, but also have the willingness to turn from the sin in light of grace. As a disciple maker, I must encourage others in times of tough decision making. I am to steer others toward spiritual discernment and toward prayer over their choice to ensure that their decision is for God and not themselves.

Disciples must not only understand and knows the word, but seek to live it out. This is true wisdom. Wisdom is not head knowledge but heart knowledge. If disciples are to become wise, they must deny themself and live in faithful trust in God, always wanting to know more about Him so they can apply more to their lives.

In order to learn and grow, disciples need to join a community and be under pastoral care. Community is a gift from God given out of His grace. Community is how we grow closer to God and become more like His son. It is there, but we must seek it. In order to practice holiness, disciples must surround themselves with the church and other spiritual resources to replace the sin in their life. Using their own distorted will to simply avoid sin by themselves will never work. They need the power of the Holy Spirit and the right heart that is cultivated with spiritual teaching. Disciple’s spiritual community should be grace-based, others focused, passionate about the Bible, and active in spreading the gospel. Disciples should join a small group within the church who studies the word, encourages each other in the faith, and serves the Lord out in the community. Disciples may feel inadequate to serve, but must remember the confidence they have in the Lord who has created them to serve. Service is a response they should have to the Gospel. Grace is given so it may flow out to others.

In order to grow spiritually, disciples must have an accurate view of the cross. Growing spiritually involves increasing the size of the cross. Disciples must recognize their deep need for grace which involves seeing their sin for what it is and standing in wonder at God’s holiness. They cannot manage or handle sin on our own. In my own Christian walk, I sometimes buy into the lie that God will love me better if I fix certain areas of my life. I focus on “fixing” specific sin issues hoping that if those areas were ok then other wrong things in my life can stay. God hates sin, big or small. All sin is bad and cannot be justified. But, His grace is big enough to cover it all. Instead of putting all my energy into controlling my sin, I should consume myself with the idea that God died for all sin to make me completely new, no longer controlled by sin.

God would rather die than live without me. Disciples must appreciate the cross and understand that their whole life centers around it. When faced with hard times or a struggle with sin, the cross becomes bigger. In my own life, I have noticed that at the times I struggle with sin the most are the times I grasp God’s grace the most. There was a stage in my life when I battled a habitual sin. Like a dog returning to its vomit, I continually returned to the same sin. After I gave in to temptation, I felt awful. I told God and myself that I never want to feel this way again so today would be the day that I would stop sinning in this way. Of course, the very next day or even the very next hour I would repeat that same sin. At one point, I was so ashamed that I bowed my knees and cried out to the Lord to take this burden away from me. He gently reminded me that His grace was enough. At that moment, the cross grew at least ten sizes. I was humbled, thankful, and amazed that Jesus died for every single time I sinned. He loves me no less. My sin issue turned into a blessing because it allowed me to see my heart in comparison to God’s. I cannot overcome sin by trying harder. Overcoming sin is a response to Christ’s love. I overcome temptation a lot better when I consume myself with God and let Him work through me.

Christians with big crosses think about God’s grace everyday in amazement and cannot help but share with others how God healed them. May we never lose the wonder of the cross. This is why the Gospel is for believers and nonbelievers alike. Everyone needs to be reminded of the power of the cross. When I remember what Christ did for me and what He continues to do in me everyday, this prompts me to share His healing power of redemption with others.

❊The Challenge❊

Take a few of the concepts in this book and work on them. Watch to see how your spiritual growth increases.