Clay in the Hands

We are all spiritual beings.  Like it or not – know it or not – agree with it or not – each and every one of us is a spiritual being.  God created us this way.  We are created to need God in our lives.  In fact, life is not complete when we exclude God from it.  But our nature wants to live life on our own.  We can do this all by ourselves – so we tell ourselves.

When I went back to school a few years ago, what drew me to the degree was the opportunity to concentrate on a discipline called spiritual formation.  Growing up in the Baptist tradition, I was intrigued by the description of what this might involve.  My studies took me down paths I had never experienced and to authors of whom I had never heard.  And on the back side of the degree, I – like most – realized I know even less.  My eyes were opened to new worlds of thought I did not even know existed before – there is so much more to learn and experience.

But what was solidified for me through the process was that all of us are spiritual beings and we are all being formed.  Our choices, our experiences and the people we encounter are all instruments of formation.  I have begun to see myself as a deformed spirit that God is slowly but methodically forming into the being God intended.

You may disagree (and that would be fine), but the way I see it, sin has deformed my being.  My drive to do things on my own – my selfish desires – my poor choices – they all have deformed the spirit God created.

When one is willing to allow God to shape her or him, God can take a deformed spirit and form it into something beautiful.

Are you the person you want to be?  The better question is are you the person God intends for you to be?

Allow God to shape you.

You won’t regret it!