What's actually going on when a soul becomes healthy?
Souls constantly change in shape and form. Every person you've ever laid eyes on has a body and also a soul.
But not all souls are the same, nor are they at the same stage of being formed.
Dallas Willard writes in Renovation of the Heart, "Terrorists as well as saints have had a spiritual formation." Spiritual formation, at its core then, is not some class we sign up for or an activity we do—but a basic fact of human existence: our souls are always being formed.
When we enter into a right relationship with God our souls are forever changed.
Many of us can consciously mark a turning point, or series of points, when we actively accepted God's grace and his forgiveness. We connected in a real relationship with God at some irreplaceable "point A." A new birth to authentic spiritual life began then for us.
But just as in physical life, new birth begins life. It doesn't complete it.
The soul isn't done yet.
In Galatians 4:19, the apostle Paul writes a letter to a community of Christians, challenging them to seek more accurate thinking and a more intentional life by grace but not by rule keeping and religiosity.
Tenderly referring to his recipients as "dear children," Paul expresses his own ardent concern that they prioritize their spiritual development by describing his deep desire for them to be formed in Christ as being like "the pains of childbirth."
As a spiritual mentor, Paul knew the process of transformation and wanted the Galatians to understand it as well.
Christ would be formed in them. The aim wasn't just to get what they needed from God but to become something for God. Likewise, you weren't meant to stay the person you are right now; you were meant for something more.
You have room to grow—and that's a good thing. You were made to be something more.
It's worth being—and becoming—that person.
Questions to ponder:
- From what you understand, what kind of character qualities did Christ demonstrate when he was on Earth?
- What would it mean for those qualities to be "formed" in someone? Do you see this kind of growth as very important in your life? Why or why not?
From "Discovering Soul Care" by Mindy Caliguire