Most of us come to a new year thinking in terms of goals, dreams, and resolutions. It tends to be focused on self-improvement. Nothing necessarily wrong with that. But you might be short-changing yourself. Instead of asking how you can improve yourself, what would it feel like to ask, “How can I flourish in 2026?” The question calls you into a different sphere, God’s kingdom.
Scripture is chock-full of statements and images pointing to one reality: God’s kingdom causes us to flourish, often in surprising ways. Images of seeds sprouting, gardens growing, buildings forming out of rubble, springs bubbling out of deserts. Jesus captured it in one of His momentous statements. Here it is in several translations: “I came to give life with joy and abundance. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. I came that they might have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)
It’s a life of flourishing. That is what Jesus wants to give us.
Always.
So how do you receive it? It’s no secret. Spiritual formation.
What is spiritual formation?
Spiritual formation is being formed into the image of Jesus. It’s being molded into the likeness of the Second Adam. Jesus was the greatest man to ever live. Period. He lived the heroic life all the great stories portray in their characters.
And His invitation is always the same: “Follow Me. Become like me by just being around Me.” In our day, we would call it hanging out. That’s the offer He has on the table.
Here’s the surprise. When we start to become more like Jesus, we start to become more like our true selves. Denying yourself to follow Him isn’t killing your self. It’s killing the false self that blocks a life of flourishing.
How does spiritual formation happen?
Once we say yes to Jesus with our lives, the process starts. It’s the job of the Holy Spirit to pull this off. He uses all of life with the intent of shaping us into the image of Great Master Himself.
But the center point of all spirirtual formation is getting us to experience Jesus’ presence, around us and in us. We experience life together with Him.
Want to walk through life with the greatest man to ever live? Want to flourish and have life to the full? That’s the work of spiritual formation.
Everything we do in this ministry works at this angle. Whether it’s spiritual direction, the Exercises, Quiet Days, Developmental Soul Care, inner healing prayer — it’s all just a doorway into the living, breathing presence of Jesus. He is alive and always on the move!
Quick and Slow
Sometimes spiritual formation happens very quickly. It’s the quick work of God. A long-held lie gets exposed and Jesus speaks His truth. Jesus’ presence enters a difficult memory and the feelings around that memory shift dramatically. A passage from Scripture opens the door into a long-awaited connection with the Father. A risk is taken in obedience, and God comes through in a surprising way. A short prayer releases physical healing in a person’s body.
I’ve seen these moments hundreds of times. They bring joy, relief, tears, hope, and deepening freedom.
But spiritual formation also happens in the daily, monthly, and yearly rhythms of our lives. The ongoing work of Scripture meditation, various ways of prayer, open conversations with other believers, participation in a local church, the Lord’s Supper. All of this and more forms us over time into His image. This is the slow work of God.
I see this displayed in my life whatever time period I choose to examine. God is always present and always at work, whether I feel it or see it in any given moment.
Questions to Ask
Whatever your circumstances, even if you are in a very difficult place, you can choose the route of flourishing this year. You can choose the road that leads to a life of abundance. It’s the road of spiritual formation. It’s the road of allowing Jesus to be your companion in everything. Start by asking Jesus these questions:
- Lord, how are you forming me right now?
- Do I need to reach out and ask for help?
- How can I be a part of the formation of others?
Sit with each question for a minute and see what comes up.
Finally, contact me to see if you would like help. That’s what we do here, helping men become like the Great Hero, Jesus Himself.
Bill
Photo by Cristina Gottardi on StockSnap
One Response
Bill, I rarely pay attention to promos popping up in email. Except for this one.
I think it’s time to come back.
I’d like my strength back. I’d like my heart to run.
Brian Eytchison