Sailing Along!

My husband and I have been in a course called “Forming” that is truly life changing.  It’s not the course that is changing our lives, but the way we are learning to connect with God’s power to change.  He is the one who changes us, but most of us feel obligated to help Him to a greater or lesser degree.  God never meant for us to work hard at being alive in Christ, but many of us are never taught the alternative.

(sorry-used before -- taken from Staten Island Ferry)

The simple analogy for Forming’s approach to Christian transformation is the comparison of rowing and sailing.  The rowing method of life change is descriptive of the work we do to live up to the commands of scripture.  We study the Bible to understand the principles God lays out and to copy the methods of others whose story exhibits how this works, or whose encouragement cheers us on with promises and instruction.  We see examples of the life God wants for us and we try to get there.  We even pray to get there.  And we even make progress because God is so good.

The sailing method of life change is about entering into such a close and honest relationship with God that we are able to hear what He is revealing to us uniquely about where we are and where He is taking us in our walk with Him.  The effort we make is to commune with God and then what we hear and see from Him transforms us from the heart outward.  Change becomes joyful and feels so natural as our sails catch the wind of the Holy Spirit and we are carried forward.  We stand amazed and enthralled with the ride we are on with God.

I spent a lot of time rowing before I came into a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit, but my husband readily confesses that he was not a rower – or a sailor.  He says he was a drifter.  He was in a boat (had received salvation and saw God’s grace in his life) but he was just drifting along -- wherever.  After a few weeks of Forming class he was hearing that God had MUCH more for him if he would purposely and regularly engage with Him.  In other words, if he would put up the sail in his boat and operate the tiller, he would catch the wind!  Now Dan is enjoying morning quiet times with God and enthralled with being on his own journey.

One thing we talked about in class is spiritual disciplines.  Take that quiet time for instance.  A person can row through his quiet time by doing it as a requirement (as law).  And there may be benefit to this.  Quiet times are good.  But if it is a time of aligning your sails for the day, it can radically change your life.  Aligning your sail can look like this:  You find a scripture (or you are in a circumstance) that is speaking to you; arousing something in your heart.  It could be something very pleasant like awareness of a wonderful promise or hope or just God’s care for you.  It could something negative like worry that you don’t measure up to this scripture, or anger at someone that is getting in the way of your peace.  Maybe you are challenged by the scripture, maybe you are blessed and encouraged.  Either way, it is an invitation to come to God honestly and engage in a conversation with Him about it. 

 

God keeps us safe on this journey (Hatteras lighthouse)

If you have issues with the idea or the practice of hearing from God then the book, the class, and the exercises will help.  I, personally, discovered awhile ago and to my delight, that God does speak to me during prayer and journaling.  I have been to retreats and conferences and Bible Studies and several Christian counselors through the years and each one helped me in the way I needed it at the time.  I am so grateful for each one!  But when I met my Wonderful Counselor and began “seeing him” all the time, I was never the same.  Things that held me back were forever healed in my soul.  That was before “Forming” but I am now learning more about how and why this relationship is God’s plan for every single child.  I just thought I was lucky!

Truly, the idea of having this blog and sharing what I have learned about life in Christ came out of the wonder and joy of relating to God under grace.  Grace became my way of growing up in faith and that is why I see so much beyond the narrow gate of salvation by faith in the Cross.  We do not enter into a life of trying to measure up to a higher standard (with promised higher rewards at the end).  We enter into a fantastic relationship with our Father, our Brother and our Helper.  

Forming is the work of David Takle and I hope you will look into it if you think you might be tired of rowing.  Blessings to you in the wonderful name of Jesus!