Tag Archives: spiritual formation

Body AND Soul

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God is profoundly interested in what you do with your body!

The very first commands God gave to Adam and Eve had everything to do with their bodies. I find it fascinating that God did not say something like: “have a great daily quiet time” or “don’t forget to pray before every meal”. Rather, God said, “I gave you the gift of sexuality…use it well!” and “get your hands dirty in the garden!” (Genesis 1:26-28).

God wants followers who are committed with body AND soul. It simply will not do if you only commit your heart to Jesus. He wants both body and soul because the two are inextricably connected. What is primarily physical is also spiritual. What is primarily spiritual is also physical.

Think about it. Is there such a thing as truly “spiritual” prayer? Prayer that does not engage any part of our body…at all…ever? Is there such a thing as truly “spiritual” worship? Or isn’t it true that we engage our voice, our hands, and so many other parts of our body in worship.

So reverse it, is there such a thing as purely physical eating? or sleeping? I think it’s easier for us to think so. But the truth is, if we follow God, these physical activities have a spiritual component as well. What and how we eat says something about our relationship with God. How much or little rest we take says something about how much we trust God to provide.

God wants us to submit our bodies to him in service, not just our hearts. Have you given Him both?

Thoughts to consider:

How do we serve God through what and how we eat?

What do we reveal about our relationship with God by how much or little rest we get?

What are some warning signs that we have made our bodies into idols in place of God instead of vessels to be used by God?

Find Your Sodom

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They all died. Every single one. Their violence, their immorality, their savagery led them to the brink. They reached the edge of the cliff so quickly that it was a small matter to jump off…even if it was to their own demise. They were the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

…bu they could have been saved you know.

Hours before the fire and brimstone fell on these cities Abraham had a conversation with God about their fate. He pleaded with God to extend his grace if just a handful of righteous people might be found among the teaming masses.

But there weren’t 10 godly people to be found in the city.

So the city was destroyed.

The tragedy is that Lot, Abraham’s nephew, lived in the city. He was a major player in the town. When the angels of the Lord found him he was sitting at the gate. This was a place of honor for the leaders of the city. Lot had an incredible opportunity to influence this city for God, but instead their fallenness got to him. It seeped into his bones. It changed him.

Heartbreaking.

Lot’s family, his wife and children, his grandchildren; combined they could have outdone superman. They could have saved the city. Their righteousness could have withheld the fire.

The next time you watch an inspiring movie that makes you feel like you want to do something great for God here’s a thought; live righteously. Maybe your a father; teach your children to love God. Maybe you’re a wife; don’t give stop praying for the heart of your husband. Maybe you’re a student; don’t comprise because it’s easy. Just because everyone else is or isn’t doing it don’t stop being righteous; you just may be holding back the fire.

For many years I thought one of Lot’s biggest mistakes was going into the city in the first place, but I don’t think that quite right. 10 godly people can be enough to hold back judgment, that’s an important point to remember. 10 righteous people in a town of hundreds, 10 righteous people in a city of thousands, 10 righteous people in a metropolis of millions. We can hold back the fire if we only hold the line.

Find your Sodom. Hold the Line. Live righteously and watch as God not only sustains you but in the process saves a city!

Community Questions:

Where has God placed you to hold back the fire?

What are some of the challenges those who live in Sodom face? How can we find success in the cities?

Set Free. Part 5. Fruit Salad

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As a kid, I didn’t like salad, or “rabbit food,” as my brother and I affectionately called it. Now that I’m grown I enjoy a good salad and appreciate that it’s a healthy choice. The transition came over time and by taking a series of steps. At first, my mom gave me carrots or celery, and while I wasn’t crazy about these, I could handle one vegetable at a time. Then I graduated to carrots and lettuce with toppings that interest a youngster, like shredded cheese, croutons and bacon (because everything’s better with bacon). As time progressed, so did the makings of my salad. Before I knew it, I was a “leaf eater.”

Now that I have kids of my own, I get it. Taking it one step at a time is not only effective but it’s wise. I can help my kids make good choices on their own by coaching them to take small steps forward, like eating one vegetable at a time, for instance.

In Galatians 5 Paul makes reference to what he calls the “fruit of the Spirit.” These are the character traits that should mark the life of a follower of Jesus: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Let’s make sure we hear what Paul is saying. He is making reference to a spiritual fruit salad rather than a spiritual fruit tray… and trust me, there’s a huge difference between the two. If we read this and think “spiritual fruit tray,” then we consider the list and select one, maybe two, to sample and enjoy but leave the rest on the tray for others. This is not what Paul is saying. He is urging us to have all of the fruit of the Spirit displayed in our lives. With this understanding, our bowl is filled with all of the fruit, and we enjoy all of the offerings of the Spirit of God.

Maybe you’re thinking that it sounds too difficult to reflect all of the fruit of the Spirit in your life. Just remember the salad analogy of adding one vegetable at a time. I’d like to suggest a similar approach to the fruit of the Spirit. Ask God to give you the courage to become more peaceful or more patient. As you progress ask God to stretch you in another area. Before you know it, you will be growing in all of the areas of concern to the Spirit of God.

Community Questions:

What are some of the dangers facing us if we treat the fruit of the Spirit as a fruit tray rather than a fruit salad?

Which has been the most difficult fruit for you to develop? Why?

What is your “favorite” fruit? What are you doing to excel in that area of your life?

Set Free. Part 4. Spiritual Forgery

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The Victoria and Albert Museum of Art and Design in London is a globally known and respected art museum. In fact, it’s one of the best. But tucked among the famous works both old and new is a very unique gallery. It’s the forgers’ gallery— a collection of fakes so expertly created that they are considered “museum worthy” knockoffs.

These works fooled all but the most expert connoisseurs of art. Yet, despite their believability, they weren’t genuine works of art. They were imposters. They were in and of themselves nothing. Because they were not real, original or inspired, they were worthless. Although many of these worthless knockoffs produced great price because they fooled the eye, in the end the legitimacy of each (or lack thereof) was discovered.

In Galatians 4, Paul talks about the danger of spiritual forgery. He stresses to the Galatian church the true goal of the message of Christianity: that Christ is formed in us. (Galatians 4:19) The Galatian church was receiving a different message from others about the true goal of the Christian message, and it was deceiving them. It looked similar to them, but when scrutinized by Paul, it was shown to be a fake. Paul said, “They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.” The goal of these spiritual forgers was to have the Galatians buy into their message. The problem was that their message was not true.

Forgeries have long existed in art and in church. Our goal is to become knowledgeable enough about our faith to spot imposters. We do this by studying the Word of God, and by allowing Christ to be formed in us as we understand and act on His words and ways. The more Christ becomes part of who we are, or is “formed in us,” the more we will be able to spot a fake. We become who we follow, so spotting a spiritual forgery can be a matter of life and death.

Community Questions:

How can memorizing scripture help us spot a fake?

What are some current or past forgeries that have caught you off guard?

What are the implications of 2 Timothy 4:1–4 both, on the reality of forgeries and the responsibility of believers?