Tuesday's Devotion * The Life You Always Wanted

The Life You Always Wanted

Put your Character in the fire of the Holy Spirit!

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

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John Ortberg book The Life You’ve Always Wanted gives a practical roadmap for a journey of genuine transformation through spiritual training resulting in growth and change over time. Ortberg posits that the whole purpose and heartbeat of the Christian journey is the hope of Christ-like transformation, because “we are to be to Christ as an image is to the original” (p. 20). In the quest for genuine transformation an individual must realize that the key is not in trying to change, but in training consistently, to change, through various spiritual disciplines that strengthen, mold, and shape one’s character. Ortberg warns about the danger of “pseudo transformation” that is not marked by genuine change evidenced by the fruit of love and joy, but are marked by spiritual boundaries that only serve to shape individuals into inauthentic Christians (p. 30, 31). In order for Christ’s character to be an intricate part of our very being a practice of certain spiritual disciplines must be employed, not legalistically, but in a way that opens us up to allow the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of His son (p. 51). The way Ortberg describes spiritual disciplines makes them similar to servants (like Paul and Apollos) “through whom … [one comes] to believe [more profoundly] – as the Lord has assigned to each his task” (1 Corinthians 3:5). One servant plants the seed and another servant waters that seed, but ultimately it is God that causes the growth or who causes us “do what [we]… cannot … do by direct effort” (NASB, 1977 & Ortberg, p. 47). Some of those servants or practices as Ortberg calls them were celebration, slowing, prayer, servanthood, and confession.

Celebration is the practice of joy and aids in transformation as it leads one to experience a greater spiritual strength. Ortberg states that this is a learned skill and one of the most important components of developing joy is when one has “devoted their lives to something greater than personal happiness” (p. 68). Slowing is the practice of waiting and patience which aids in transformation as it leads one to experience more solitude and alone time with God. Ortberg believes that “solitude is the one place where we can gain freedom from the forces of society that will otherwise relentlessly mold us” (P. 84). Prayer is the practice of communicating with God and aids in transformation as it leads one to gain faith in the fact that prayer changes things. Ortberg says that prayer is a learned behavior that invites us into an intimate relationship with God, and knits the “human heart together with the heart of God” (p. 106). Servanthood is the practice of humility and aids in transformation by leading one to experience a heartfelt servitude to God and others. Confession is the practice of the reality of forgiveness and aids in transformation as it leads one to experience internal healing. Ortberg says that confession is an on-going process that removes sin from one’s life and teaches “not just the idea of grace, but grace as a reality, being immersed in it, given life by it” (p. 138).

In conclusion Ortberg discusses the process of transformation as consisting of the leading of the Holy Spirit via listening to the voice of God; a liberation from one’s need to seek others approval; practicing purity by reading and meditating on the mind-renewing word of God; a well-ordered heart that comes from a intentional plan of action; and experiencing perseverance through the things one suffers. If one’s goal is true transformation then Ortberg would say to them “it’s morphing time” (p. 26).

Have a "Morphing" Tuesday!

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Information taken from The Life You Always Wanted by John Ortbert

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