In the Flow

by martinrayvaughan on March 20, 2010

In his book the me I want to be, John Ortberg writes about being in the flow of the Spirit. This has to do with our spiritual formation. Whether you realize it or not, spiritual formation is part of the developmental process going on in your life right now. Just as your body is growing more healthy or unhealthy (depending on your habits), your spiritual self is also moving in some direction. Is it for better or worse? Do you find yourself stagnant or in a rhythmic cadence with life? Your inner self is moving towards one thing or another. Consider this chart and take a stab at honesty with yourself. It might pinch a little, but trust me, this is a good thing.

flow

Guess what? If you looked at this chart and thought honestly about where you fall on some of these topics, you have taken a healthy step today. You have just done an exercise in spiritual formation.
Jesus said that he came so that we might have life to the fullest. This doesn’t mean living without conflict or troubles, it means living out the best version of ourselves.
When we search deep in the parts of us that no one else can see there is a longing that only you and God know about. There is a you that is in perfect alignment and thriving at maximum effeciency. Perfect love, perfect joy. This is the you God created you to be. It looks a little different for each of us.
How do we get closer to that and not further? Can we possibly control the ebb and flow of our spiritual lives? If you are anything like me, there are times in life where I’m in rhythm and times when I can’t seem to connect with anything or anyone. Some days I’m lucky to just work the Coffee maker.

Let me leave you with four things that I scribbled in my journal after reading Ortberg’s book.

Surrender. There is no possible way to connect with God without surrender. If you think this isn’t fair, create a Universe and get back to me.

Monitor your mind. When we surrender, we can give the anxiety, the negativity, and the insecurity over to God. His love washes over the stench of our brokenness and renews our mind. I had a very interesting experience with this that I’ll save for another post.

Pray. No relationship can survive without communication. You can leave the thous and haths at the door – just talk to your Creator and see where it goes.

Give. Time, love, money, talents…whatever you have to offer, give. Happy is nothing compared to true joy – and joy happens when we forget ourselves and give to another. Try it.

Take a moment and share in the comments section what you have found in your own experience that helps keep you in the flow.