It’s Morphing Time!
I am re-reading the book “The Life You’ve Always Wanted” by John Ortberg. I would definitely recommend it. at first I had to read it for a class I was taking. Even then I saw that it was a good book but because i was forced to read it i didn’t get all I could from it. The premise of the book is developing your spiritual life through “spiritual disciplines for ordinary people”. When you hear the words spiritual discipline what come to mind? at first it may be a monk with a hood over his head in a monastery somewhere, or you may think of the disciples of Jesus and think you could never measure up. It seems like almost only Pastors and Saints should even worry about spiritual disciplines but that is not true. Ortberg says in his book and I have to agree” the primary goal of spiritual life is human transformation”. We all want to be better people. we all want to be able to stand up to temptation and live lives worthy of being called a Christian.
I like this book because it put it in simple terms and makes you feel like you can do better. so many times we feel over whelmed buy the world and its temptations that we feel we are never going to make any progress in our spiritual lives. we see this even in Paul letter to the Romans in chapter 7 he says ” 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
Paul is trying to understand the battle in side himself. When we become Christians sin does not just disappear if anything we are more aware of it. So sin is even more around us because we are more sensitive to it. And even thought we want to do good we are not yet capable to resist some temptations. Paul encourages us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! And in Philippians 1:6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. so even thought it may seem like a long road to transformation in the spiritual life it is possible. Paul warns us against trying it on our own. it takes practice and that is where your quite time, or the spiritual disciplines come into play.
I hope maybe you are encouraged top read Ortberg’s book or just encourage. I will continue to read the book and let you know what the Lord shows me.
May God Bless you and may you feel His loving embrace today,
Brandon
so, you dont like to cut the grass – when you get older that becomes your exercise program. that and running to the kitchen for a refull on soda.