TRUST V/S OBEDIENCE

Part 2

“And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said,

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,

you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:2-3

Spiritual formation has become a major emphasis at many seminaries. Dallas Willard describes it thusly. “Spiritual formation in the tradition of Jesus Christ is the process of transformation of the inmost dimension of the human being, the heart, which is the same as the spirit or will. It is being formed (really, transformed) in such a way that its natural expression comes to be the deeds of Christ done in the power of Christ.” (Spiritual Formation: What it is, and How it is Done – Dallas Willard, Dallas Willard Ministries).

Spiritual formation is the lifelong process of discipleship involving obedience in the practice of spiritual disciplines resulting in our will becoming, not just subordinate to God’s will, but a natural expression of the Father’s will. As Dallas Willard explains, it is a transformation of the heart. It is a transforming work of the Holy Spirit in response to our obedience as He molds us into the image of Christ. Jesus, Himself, described doing the Father’s will as His very food, His sustenance (John 4:34). This is a noble and lofty goal. Admittedly our progress involves ups and downs, two steps forward and one step back. And at times it seems unattainable. Even Paul, in his excellent discourse in Philippians 3:8-16, confesses he has not attained it but nevertheless forgets that which is behind (his stumbles or failures) and presses on. This begs the question, at what point in our spiritual journey do we become “good enough,” pleasing to God? One pastor and former seminarian expresses this dilemma in his review of my book, Commended.

“This book is a great insight into who, what, and where our identity comes from. The timing of this book was very interesting to me. I was going through a period of “I’m not a good enough Christian/husband/dad/missionary” self-talk. (Side note: that’s true. Nobody is.) Commended challenged me to remember Who and what determines my worth.”

Theologically we know that God’s approval does not rest in our actions but in the atoning blood of Jesus. Nevertheless, we often may experience a nagging feeling that we are not measuring up, not good enough, that robs us of the joy that Jesus offers. How do we deal with that? Jesus’s words to His disciples in Mattew 18:1-4 gives us a clue.

Matthew describes the scene. Jesus is approaching Jerusalem, and His impending crucifixion. His disciples, oblivious to this, had been arguing about which of them was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, and approached Jesus with that question. Perhaps they had been comparing notes, touting their accomplishments, wondering who amongst them was most deserving of this honor. Jesus draws a little child to Him and uses him as an illustration. Unless His disciples humble themselves as this child, not only would they not be great, but they would not even enter the Kingdom of Heaven. What was it about this child that touched Jesus? Consider the following anecdote of an intimate moment between a child and her father.

“A young child, seeing her daddy at the bottom of the stairway, descends to meet him. She stops suddenly, two stairs up, and smiles. Her daddy stretches his arms as she giggles in anticipation. She launches herself into orbit, splashing down in the ocean of her daddy’s enveloping love as she hugs his neck. He belly-laughs as she squeals. She runs back up the stairs, this time to the fourth step. “Do it again, Daddy!” Can we sense the reward of joy they both experience? The bonding? The trust to now double down?” (Runge, David. Commended: Finding Your Joy in God's Approval, Affirmation, and Pleasure (Even on Your Worst Days) (pp. 60-61). Ballast Books. Kindle Edition.)

Have you ever noticed how a child can experience deep joy in their relationship with their parents through simple trust? Have you experienced deep joy from a child who places a humble, simple trust in you? Have you tasted the intimacy this builds in your relationship with a child? The child is not yet mature, nonetheless is able to experience deep joy in the intimacy of a trust – based relationship with their father or mother. Perhaps that is why Jesus brought the little child before His disciples. Perhaps it is why, in Revelation 2:4-5 He encouraged the mature church at Ephesus to return to their first love, to the intimacy of that first love relationship with Him.

Obedience builds character, discipline, and maturity. But trust builds intimacy. And intimacy in relationships is the catalyst for joy. A child’s development depends on its intimacy with its parents. The more intimate the relationship with the parent, the more a healthy desire to please and obey grows. It is this trust fueled intimacy with Jesus that brings Him joy and enables us to experience the joy He offers.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. Psalm 13:5 ESV

David Runge takes a fresh look at pleasing God in Commended – Finding Your Joy in God’s Approval, Affirmation, and Pleasure (Even on Your worst Days) available at Amazon and at www.davidrunge.com.