One day while sharing with a counselor about everything I was doing to grow into a better person, he asked, “What’s the point of all this?” I quickly answered, “To be perfect.” His response was, “That’s a stupid goal.” I was stunned and silenced because I couldn’t think of any other reason. After a long silence he gave me another more reasonable goal: “growth/process”. You see, God does not leave His work incomplete. The transformation of a person into what God intends them to be is a process. It is ongoing and we have the promise that the Holy Spirit will not stop renewing and renovating the whole person.
Scripture:
• Spend some time slowly reading and meditating on Philippians 1:3-6
Reflection: (Spend some time journaling through at least one of these questions.)
• As best as you can, identify where and when your spiritual journey began.
• Where are you in spiritual journey right now? How has this been a process over time?
• Draw a line, representing your life, on a piece of paper and start to mark and describe every experience that has been significant in your life.
Practice:
• Today, each time you look in the mirror, ask God to show you the unique aspect of His heart that you have been created to reflect and then practice that quality in your relationships with others.
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3 comments:
The scripture for today somehow brings to mind a recent Dyson Vacuum (I think) commercial that I saw. Smart scientist man says something like: we go through thousands of prototypes before an actual product is released. That is kind of how I relate to verses in Philippians. I am a new product; the theory is there and the basic components are in place, but it is not quite right yet. Surely, there is a breakdown in the comparisons, though. I have to function in my prototype mode and trusting Jesus to "carry it on to completion." I think this breakdown adds something palpable to the human experience: a sense of "partnership" instead of production.
It's not often that I think about my spiritual journey - where it began or where it is today. I really enjoyed discussing this with Bobby and learning about how his spiritual journey began, which is something I (somehow) never knew. Putting my own spiritual journey into words helped me to see how far I've come, what I've learned, and where my heart is currently at.
I think this is something that is important to do consistently, to re-balance your spiritual life and figure out where you're at. As Bobby said, I love that this is a partnership with God and that He will guide us during our journey without fail to "completion."
I love what you guys have said. I never thought of the "prototype" metaphor before. I especially love the trusting Jesus part. I think this is my biggest hurdle. Do I trust Jesus to do what he said and "carry it on to completion"? I don't know but I'm trying and I'm experimenting and as I look at my journey, I can honestly say He's proven himself trustworthy.
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