William never considered himself particularly “spiritual.” He surrendered his life to Christ as a young adult, attended church faithfully, and did his best to live his life in accordance with God’s Word. But in the quiet moments, late at night or early in the morning when the world was quiet, he would often wonder if something was missing in his walk with Jesus. Over time he sensed the Holy Spirit was behind this sense of longing for something more, calling him to something deeper in his life.
Things began to change for William. Initially it began by dedicating a few moments at the beginning and end of each day. William would open his Bible, sit in silence for a few minutes, and talk to God. At first, it felt awkward. His mind wandered. His prayers felt clumsy. But William persisted. Slowly, a sacred rhythm developed and took root in his life. As time passed, William grew to long for this special time with God. He grew aware of how the Scripture seemed to speak directly to him through the ordinary details of his day. He noticed how the silent moments of prayer provided a sense of calm and assurance. How ordinary things like sunlight flowing in through his bedroom windows, the sound of birds chirping on his walk to his office, or a kind word from a friend felt like small blessings from God just for him.
William did not change overnight. But over months and years, his friends began to notice something different. There was a peace and a steady joy. A quiet confidence emerged from within. William thought less about the need to impress others and focused on listening and caring about the people around him. He was becoming more like Jesus, William was becoming who God created him to be.
What is Spiritual Formation?
Jeffery Greenman superbly defines spiritual formation as:
“Our continuing response to the reality of God’s grace shaping us into the likeness of Jesus Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit, in the community of faith, for the sake of the world.” [1]
It is not about becoming more religious or simply improving our behavior. It is about transformation of the heart, the mind, and the soul. It is a lifelong journey of grace and intention, in which we submit to and participate with God. We are reminded that God actually has a goal for our lives—to conform us into the image of Jesus. The Apostle Paul puts it simply: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29).
At its core, spiritual formation is a relational process. It is not something we can accomplish on our own. It is not something that can be accomplished without our consent and cooperation. God’s role in this process is as the initiator, the one who empowers, and the one who guides us. Our role in this process is to respond to God’s grace with openness and willingness. We present ourselves to God in surrender and obedience so that His grace might work in our lives. The metaphor that best describes this cooperative process was provided by St. Augustine,
“God provides the wind, man must raise the sails.”[2]
Transformation is God’s work, but our posture makes space for His grace to change us.
More Than Behavior—It Is About Being
One of the biggest misconceptions about spiritual formation is that it is only about doing more spiritual practices. The list of doing more spiritual practices include reading the Bible more, praying more, and serving more. While these practices are important, doing more of them focuses us on the wrong thing…our efforts to do more. The spiritual disciplines place us before God where he can pour His grace into us. Spiritual practices are means of receiving God’s grace. They serve as ways of presenting ourselves to God so that He can do the deeper work of shaping who we are. Spiritual formation touches the deepest parts of us: our desires, our reactions, our motivations, our habits. Over time, we begin to respond to life not out of obligation and in hopes of behavior modification, but with the heart and mind of Christ. Dallas Willard writes,
“Christian spiritual formation is focused entirely on Jesus. Its goal is an obedience or conformity to Christ that arises out of an inner transformation accomplished through purposive interaction with the grace of God in Christ.”[3]
It is important that we embrace this truth. Our focus is Christ and His grace combined with our willingness to submit to God. This fundamental truth will transform us into His ambassadors who, as ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5: 18)., represent Him. As Greenman so aptly reminds us with his definition of spiritual formation, our transformation is for the sake of the world. Without a clear understanding of spiritual formation and ultimate goal of transformation, we can be drawn to selfish reasons for spiritual formation that can come by way of our own insecurities and defective theology. Some want to engage in spiritual formation as a means of making God love them more. The Apostle John reminds us, “As the father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love” (John 15:9). Or some have mistakenly viewed spiritual formation as a means of becoming holy. We are not holy by any of our human efforts. The Apostle Paul tells us that we are holy through Christ’s death on the cross, period (Colossians 1:22). Our motivation is Christ, our love for him, and for the sake of the world who need Him.
The Beauty of Slow Growth
In a culture obsessed with speed and visibility, spiritual formation offers a countercultural invitation: to slow down and go deep. Growth in Christ is often subtle and slow, like the maturing of a tree or the ripening of fruit. It cannot be rushed. Growth in Christ can at times seem imperceivable. But there is beauty in that slowness. Jesus often spoke of seeds, vines, branches and seasons because they grow over time. Beauty lies in the fact that God is patient with us, and so His work in us takes time. Quick change may alter behavior for a time, but slow growth transforms the heart. Real spiritual formation touches not just actions, but thoughts, desires, habits, and character. That kind of change is like crafting a sculpture—each chisel stroke precise, each detail lovingly shaped. What is formed slowly endures the test of time.
Another benefit of slow growth is that it humbles us. It reminds us that we are not in control of our own sanctification. We cooperate with the Holy Spirit but cannot rush Him. He leads us cultivating trust, surrender, and dependence on God and His timing. The process of spiritual formation is one of grace, not performance. Moving in tandem with the Holy Spirit removes the temptation to focus on outcomes and invites us into a deeper relationship with God where time, presence, and intimacy matter more than progress recorded on a chart.
The beauty of slow growth also glorifies God, not us. Quick transformation focuses on us. This leads to pride and self-congratulation. But slow, steady formation makes it clear that God is the one doing the work, not us. It turns our eyes away from self-improvement to God’s careful, faithful love.
A Lifelong Invitation
Wherever you find yourself—dry, restless, uncertain, or longing—spiritual formation is God’s invitation to you. Not to stive harder, but to yield more fully. Not to fix yourself, but to open yourself to God’s love and grace. You do not need to feel spiritual. You do not need to have everything charted out. You just need to say yes—to showing up, to listening, to allowing God to do His slow work of shaping you in His way.
The beauty of spiritual formation is that it meets us where we are and slowly, gently, leads us where we were always meant to go, into the likeness of Christ, the fullness of love, and the quiet joy of becoming whole. Paul says it well in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” This work of growing into the likeness of Christ takes time and it takes a lifetime. It is ultimately worth it. We become like Christ and that is a beautiful thing.
Interested in learning more about Spiritual Formation?
Check out our Doctor of Ministry program with a Concentration in Spiritual Formation. Start your journey with The King’s today.
Footnotes:
[1] Jeffery P. Greenman and George Kalantzis, ed., Life in the Spirit: Spiritual Formation in Theological Perspective (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2010), 24. [2] The quote is attributed to St. Augustine, but it does not appear in any of his known writings verbatim. It is best understood as a paraphrase or interpretation of Augustine’s thought on divine grace and human cooperation. [3] Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2002), 22.