Where Do You Begin?

Spiritual formation seems like such a daunting task. Where does one start? I believe a good place to start is right where you are. Begin by taking an assessment of your life. Are you fruity? That is, is your life characterized by the fruit of the Spirit or is your fruit more of the kind produced by the sinful nature? Galatians 5:19-21 describes the fruit of the sinful nature.

Galatians 5:19-21 ¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, , and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.¹

If you are honest in your assessment you may begin to feel disappointed or discouraged at where you are at. If you truly take an honest look inside yourself you may experience sorrow over your failures, lies, self-centeredness, etc… This is a healthy response to have, for the Bible says:

2 Corinthians 7:10 ¹⁰Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.²

This Godly sorrow should lead to brokenness. You should experience brokenness over your sin, a realization that you have blown it and are deserving of God’s judgment. This brokenness then should lead you to Jesus where you realize you are sinful and helpless and need God to take control over your life. You realize that apart from Him you are nothing. You realize like the Psalmist did that:

Pslams 40:2-3 ²He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. ³He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.³

Once you are in this place of brokenness you have begun the journey of spiritual formation.

¹Galatians 5:19-21, NIV.
²2 Corinthians 7:10, NIV.
³ Psalms 40:2-3, NIV.