I was studying the story of David and Saul. It was interesting to me that he biggest difference between them is that David often sought to connect to God and and Saul did not, you could even say Saul ran from God. Saul might have thought he was connecting with God through religious acts such as sacrifices but we learn that eventually Saul’s lack of connection to God is ultimately what destroyed his life. He never asked, he didn’t sit and listen. He just wrote his own script.
The way to continue to live the precepts or ideas of GTYS is to stay connected to the source of grace and truth, God. God asks you to commit to living a life of deep reflection. GTYS Step 4. I choose to join God in my transformation by doing the heart work required of me.
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8. Remember pure in heart describes a life marked by a process of purifying through living a transparent life. You can spend your whole life in this process if you choose. You can also choose to live in a state of unconsciousness regarding your life but your ability to share and receive God’s love will suffer.
Doing the “things” such as bible study, prayer, going to church are great but if your day to day life and relationships do not reflect the character of Christ then it would be a alarm that you haven’t or have stopped doing the work that we are called to do in the beatitudes.
Symptoms or alarms of emotional and spiritual unhealthy. Motivation to do the work.
Loyal service to your church or community but very little changing in your daily relationships. Keeping yourself busy.
A large gap in between what we say we believe and what we do.
Ignoring big feelings like anger, resentment, fear and sadness or an inability to feel.
Running from conflict. Entertaining bitterness in your heart instead of living in truth and grace.
Denying the impact of the past on your current health. God tells us that we will not suffer in vain if we just allow him access to that pain that can transform you.
Judging other’s spiritual maturity. Remember the log in your eye.
Covering over your failures and brokenness. Living a lie.
Living in shame.
Not spending quiet time with God.
Teresa of Avila said this: “Almost all problems in the spiritual life stem from a lack of self-knowledge”.
What does it look like to be awake, fully blossoming in God’s design of you, transforming to the likeness of Christ? It looks like step 4.
Tonight we will continue on this path to wake up. We will clothe ourselves in humility, grace and love so we can truly see ourselves. Let us examine our ways and test them and let us return to the Lord. Lam. 3:4
Let practice seeing our own sin without excusing, denying, rationalizing, ignoring, blaming.
Classwork or Homework
Are you seeing any of these symptoms listed above or other alarms in your life that you are spiritually and emotionally unhealthy?
Use the Destructive Response Tool and work through one of your responses and share with a member of your group.