The Reality

“We live from our heart. The part of us that drives and organizes our life is not the physical. This remains true even if we deny it. You have a spirit within you, and it has been formed. It has taken on a specific character. I have a spirit and it has been formed. This is true of everyone. The human spirit is an inescapable, fundamental aspect of every human being; and it takes on whichever character it has from the experiences and the choices that we have lived through or made in our past. That is what it means for it to be ‘formed.’” – Dallas Willard, excerpted from Renovation of the Heart

It is a stark reality, isn’t it? Whether intentionally or unintentionally—and “even if we deny it”— our spirits have been formed by a lifetime of experiences, choices, and interactions. We have become a certain type of person. In many cases, the influences of this world have shaped our personality and character without our direct forethought or intention, in ways that leave us broken, wilting, and in desperate need of transformation into Christ’s image. 

The journey toward Christlikeness requires acknowledging the ways we have been previously formed, conditioned, and “conformed to this world.” This path of Christian Spiritual Formation requires us to follow—from the heart—the standard of Christ, embracing transformation through surrendering our will and desires in favor of his. It is on this path of surrender that we discover God’s will and God’s goodness. This is the path of the easy yoke, the light burden, and the tree with good fruit. It is the best possible kind of life, made available through Christ and the power of his Spirit. 

For us as Christians, Dallas Willard says our spiritual formation journey is basically “the Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self in such a way that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself.”

Reflection

Consider the progression of your own spirit’s formation: What kind of person were you before Christ entered your life? What kind of person are you now? What kind of person would you truly like to be?

Prayer

Merciful God, thank you for giving us your Word and your Son to guide us into a new life and a way of being formed into the image of Christ himself. Amen