VIM - Intention

If we are to be spiritually formed in Christ, we must understand and implement the general pattern that all effective efforts toward personal transformation must follow: appropriate vision, intention, and means.

Having the appropriate VISION does not guarantee action. I am by nature a "dreamer", and as a coach understand the role of "motivation" or INTENTION. We need to come to the place where we decide to go forward with courage.

Willard says: "Projects of personal transformation rarely succeed by accident, drift or imposition. It is choice that matters. Imagine a person wondering day after day if he is going to learn Arabic or if he is going to get married to a certain person - just waiting to see whether it would happen. That would be laughable. But many people live this way with respect to their spiritual transformation."

Today's Experiment:
Reflect upon what has blocked your intentions toward spiritual formation.

VIM - Vision

If we are to be spiritually formed in Christ, we must understand and implement the general pattern that all effective efforts toward personal transformation must follow: appropriate vision, intention, and means.

Vision of Life in the Kingdom

When Jesus walked the earth He manifested the Kingdom. He showed compassion, He healed and delivered, He listened actively as others told their story, He spoke truth with grace, He manipulated the material universe (miracles). He lived out of a place completely different from this planet.

So must we. Developing the needed vision requires that we look intently at the gospels again and again to see how he behaved and taught: to be encouraged, challenged, shocked, and little by little transformed.

Today, I will live my life IN THE KINGDOM. "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth..."

Death to Self - Scary or Not Really???

I invite you to join me in going further with the exercise we began last week. Quiet yourself and ponder your way through Psalm 23:4-6, somewhat as indicated below.

Because I'm beginning to believe that the Lord really is my Shepherd, I'm not quite as uneasy facing shadowy places in life. This is the death to self area that was initially such a source of fear for me. All things die. Death is part of life, and in the Christian context: No death = no resurrection.

At times. I actually have no fear of anything. I see God's hand guiding and comforting me through each detail (v.4). In those dramatic moments when I face those who oppose me, dislike me, or just plain annoy me, I find God behind me, pouring love into me, giving me just what I need. Actually, what I need overflows! Now and then I even offer some of that overflow to my enemy (v.5). I'm really looking forward to some "overflow" days and the delight of blessing those who have offended, and hurt me.

Each day I find goodness and love occurring in the oddest places. Could that be because I no longer demand it and expect it from others? Could this be a byproduct of my new focus on "being", rather than "doing"? I'm content to hang out with Jesus all day long. Whatever He's up to, I want to tag along. Is there a better place to be?