I’ve heard this idea from many different authors and pastors. They may use slightly different language each time, but there is truth in this.

 

We are always being spiritually formed into something or someone. But the real question is this: “Are we being spiritually formed through intention or allowance?” Author and pastor AJ Sherrill shares this quote in his book EXPANSIVE, “Every culture is the result of either intention or allowance. Culture is either created intentionally or permitted (allowed) unintentionally.”

 

What he is basically saying that to be formed into the image of Christ, we must be intentional. To be formed into the image of the world, we just allow the steady stream to carry us away to destruction. In apprenticeship to Jesus, we shape our whole lives around the concept of having Jesus as our Teacher and Master. He is always instructing us in His way to ultimately be transformed into His likeness and be with Him in loving union. In order for this to happen, we intentionally practice the things that He did. To become a person of love like Jesus we practice solitude and silence each day. To become a person of joy like Jesus we practice fasting at least once a week. To become a person of peace like Jesus we practice Sabbath each seventh day. There are more disciplines we can practice to help us in other areas of life, but you can get the picture. We have to be intentional if we want to be spiritually formed into the image of Jesus.

 

Conversely, in order to be formed into the image of the world, we don’t actually have to do anything. The secular culture of the world will do all the forming for us because we are allowing it to. Of course, this is unintentional spiritual formation. For instance, our devices are designed to create distraction in our lives if we use it toward its uninhibited potential. We will become more hurried and more anxious if we allow our technology to control us. If we surround ourselves with friends who reaffirm these ideas and coworkers who normalize sin patterns, we will allow ourselves to be formed into the likeness of our culture. It’s like floating in a downstream river. We don’t have to swim. Just sit back, and let the flow of the river do the work. Here’s the thing, where is this river going toward? Jesus and the Apostle Paul would suggest it’s headed toward a waterfall of destruction. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

 

So here’s the big question I want to challenge you with today: “Am I going to be intentional in my spiritual formation into the likeness of Christ, or am I going to passively allow myself to be spiritually formed into the image of the world?” We are always being spiritually formed.