“We can develop new habits, new rhythms, or new actions and still not have a transformed life. Enacting new habits is not enough. We are not called to ‘fake it till we make it’ or try hard to act like good Christians. Formation is not achieved through raw effort. Our formation is the fruit of God’s life in our lives.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe
As Kyle Strobel and John Coe move on in Chapter 9 of When God Seems Distant, they talk about what to do if you don’t want to open your heart to the Lord. To taste and see what it means to trust Him. As well as to taste and see the Lord’s work and words. Therefore, if you balk at doing this, Kyle and John exhort, tell the Lord. Because, even in that place, you finally open to the Lord in the truth.
Above all, the authors cite Bernard of Clairvaux. He observed what happened when Christians lost sight of their faith, hope, and love. Bernard stated that many Christians of his day functioned like canals. Thus, they immediately poured out whatever they received.
Instead, we need people who function as reservoirs. People filled with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom, knowledge, and love. Who then pour those forth into all they do.
In conclusion, Kyle and John counsel:
“By resting in the fact that he is our righteousness, we have space to see the truth of our unbelief and all the ways we avoid God in our passion, goodness, devotion, and such. We need to know God’s grace and mercy in those places just as we need to hear the Lord’s calling and direction out of our sin and brokenness to be formed in his love. But we should never hear the call away from our sin and brokenness apart from Christ.”
Today’s question: How do you avoid relying solely on enacting new habits in your spiritual formation? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Moving from rest, not from our works”