Spiritual Formation

How do we know if we are serving for our own benefit or truly serving as Jesus commanded?

“If we never experience conflict in our relationship with God, the chances are we have replaced the real God with a substitute god made in our image.”

Have you ever felt guilty, foolish, or ashamed because you had doubts and questions about God? Have you ever been afraid to ask those questions because you didn’t want your friends—who you’re positive are all put-together, with-it Bible experts—to know that you didn’t have the answers?

We unintentionally believe a lot of lies about our bodies. The lies fall to both extremes: on the one hand, that the human body is an object of worship, and on the other, that it’s a pointless vessel.

One of the exciting things about summer is that it always offers something of a spiritual growth blank canvas. Vacations get planned, daylight comes sooner and lasts longer, and visions of golf courses, ice cream stands, and picnics begin to dance in my head! May has become an annual alarm to start dreaming about the book list I’m going to conquer, the state parks I’m going to hike through, and the new spiritual disciplines I’m going to begin.

I caught myself scrunching my nose. I was chatting on the phone with a friend when I told him I needed to get back to work, and he said, half jokingly, that work is a result of the Fall.We laughed it off, but something just didn’t sit right with me. I began wondering, If that is true and if God is trying to heal the world, why do we still have to work so hard?

About nine months ago, at the age of 36, with the majority of my friends married and owning houses and raising kids, I moved in with a family to rent a room from them. It’s not what I envisioned for 36, but it’s great. 

Last October, my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. My mom came upstairs and sat on my bed to share the news with me early one Saturday morning when I was home for a weekend visit.

My heart sank, not only because my aunt is one of the strongest, most vibrant women I know and has already been through enough, but also because I had been long ignoring a sizable lump in my own breast.

Have you ever put money in a vending machine and then had the bag of chips get stuck? It’s an infuriating experience, and hardly matters that I’ve only lost about 50 cents. I put that money in the machine and I expect to get my chips! So I will do whatever I can to get my snack unstuck: stick my hand as far up the delivery slot as it will go; kick, shake, and rail at the machine; and in general make a fool of myself. But usually, there’s no getting those chips out.

Let me be blunt: Jesus is not your superstar. He’s not going to bring glitter or glamor or bedazzle your life. He’s not here to entertain you. He’s not here to make your life more convenient or more comfortable.

In saving our lives through the cross, Christ conferred a value upon them. How are we to spend ourselves?