Day 3 Change me on the inside
" What sort of heart would you like to have? What actions would flow from such a large heart?"
posted by TK at 7:41 PM
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Welcome to our online discussion of Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson's Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice: Experiments in Spiritual Transformation. Each day, Monday-Friday, I will post the title of that day's chapter and maybe an excerpt from the chapter. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to read that day's selection from the book then click on the comment link and add your $.02 to the conversation. If you are a highlighter maybe just share what you highlighted and why you highlighted it. Maybe something really resonated with you as you tackled that day's experiment, share that with us. Maybe, as happened with me, the first time I read the book, God will reveal something to you. Read the comments that others leave, respond to each other, ask for clarification, let someone know you connected with a comment they left. My hope is that working through this book together we will get much more out of it, we might not only grow in Christlikeness but grow closer to each other. If you have any technical difficulties please email me at tkay3atcharterdotnet.
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6 Comments:
(Ok, I'm paying attention now).
So for me, this is a huge question-- how exactly do I change on the inside. I see the same patterns of sin in my life, stuff that I really don't like, but that I can't seem to shake. How do I let go? How do I really want to let go.
Up until now, I've assumed that I just haven't been trying hard enough, but today's reading seems to indicate that I should spend more time trying to build my heart to look like Jesus's and that the behavior would follow.
Maybe that's why I am always drawn back to the gospels, no matter how many times I read them. The heart of Jesus is just so darn appealing. I think, if I, spent more time trying to form the heart of Jesus it would not only build me into the person God created me to be, but also might point more people to Jesus.
"To the degree in which spiritual formation in Christ is successful, the outer life of the individual becomes a natural outflow of the character and teaching of Christ ... Obedience is an esscentual outcome of the Christian spiritual formation".
I have been reading Leviticus 26:1-13. More to this point are vs 2 and 3 If I follow the Lord's word, His statements of truth, His daily design for me, if I obey His commands, He will send rain in it's season (His blessings, His outpouring of Life into me), and my heart will yield crops of G-d's grace and fruit (so it can flow out of me). I am not the only one who will benefit from this. Others will reap the benefits of this transformation within me.
It's so true, what I am on the inside is what shows up on the outside. I have a big say in this. If I leave Christ out, if I ignore Him and if I do not feed the hunger of my Spirit, how can I expect Him to be revealed on my outside (Luke 6:45)? In my reading and spending time with Jesus these last 2 weeks, I have come to realize (yet again), that I have taken too much for granted. It is not enough to go to church and to have Christian friends. It is not enough to know I have a relationship with Jesus. I have come to realize (yet again) that I NEED to develop and cultivate my relationship with Him deeper and more often.
Love to all of you,
Candy
WOW This is very hard for me because when you are around non christians more it seems that some old habits die harder then others. Some things I am not ready to let go of and others were very easy for me to let go.The more closer I get to the Lord certain things come much easier. I am starting to like the changes inside that have been made!!
Hey Mikey,
This morning we talked about how spiritual formation is like a see-saw or teeter-totter thingy. We have to allow the Holy spirit to do his part but we must also do our part. There must be a balance. The Holy Spirit can't do our part for us and we certainly can't do the Holy Spirit's part.
ok, it's seems like I've underlined the ENTIRE DEVOTIONAL for today, here's what hit me hardest:
- the revolution of Jesus is one of character
- spiritual formation is spirit-driven and focused entirely on Jesus
- purposeful interaction (that's where I come in) with the grace of God in God
- the outer mirrors the inner
- my task is to cooperate, to let my heart be transformed
I'm praying that God transforms me, all of us on the inside. In terms of 'purposeful interaction,' like Rob, I am going to spend more time trying to build my heart to look like Jesus'. I want to be that "ever-flowing stream" that the Amos verse talks about.
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