Becoming More Like Jesus: Stop Trying, Start TrainingSample

So far in this reading plan, we have looked at two ways that the Holy Spirit is inviting us to stop trying and start training as we seek to become more like Jesus: The movement from willpower to Holy Spirit power and the movement from isolation to community.

Here is a third way: The principle of indirection.

To better understand the principle of indirection, I find these words from Richard Foster especially helpful.

"When we engage in the Spiritual Disciplines, we are seeking the righteousness of the kingdom of God through 'indirection.' You see, we cannot by direct effort make ourselves into the kind of people who can live fully alive to God. Only God can accomplish this in us. Only God can incline our hearts toward him. Only God can reprogram the deeply ingrained habit patterns of sin that constantly predispose us toward evil and transform them into even more deeply ingrained habit patterns of 'righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit' (Romans 14:17). And God freely and graciously invites us to participate in this transforming process. But not on our own."

Perhaps an example might help further clarify the principle of indirection.

Experience tells us that you and I cannot become more patient simply by trying really hard to become a more patient person. Any steps we might take towards patience on our own willpower would only lead to pride and self-reliance. Instead, we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal and lead us into spiritual disciplines that, in God's timing and ways, will produce in us a heart of patience that is not dependent on circumstance.

In this example of training under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to become a more patient person, we would do well to practice the discipline of slowing. This indirect action of choosing to put ourselves in situations where we have no choice but to wait becomes our act of surrender to God. God then takes our little sacrifice and does in us what only He can do. In this case, He forms us into the kind of person who is growing and overflowing with patience regardless of the circumstances.

As you go, take a minute to slowly meditate on the words of the Apostle Paul. "By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things” (See Galatians 5:22-23). Is there one or two of the fruit of the Spirit that God might be leading you to grow in, and if so, what one or two spiritual disciplines might the Spirit be leading you to practice as a way of training to become more like Jesus - more loving, more joyful, more peaceful, and so on?