By Bill Gaultiere © 2006, 2010
To become more like Jesus we need to develop a spiritual formation training plan. In Renovation of the Heart Dallas Willard provides an understanding for how we might do this. I briefly introduce this and give a personal example in my article, “Can You and I Really Change?” I have coached many people along these lines. This “VIM Plan” worksheet will get started…
Vision
Pray for God to direct you to one Bible teaching to learn to obey from your heart (or one personal struggle to overcome). For instance, you might pick one of Jesus’ teachings from Sermon on the Mount. Briefly write down the vision God gives you for the specific example of how you could become more like Jesus…
Intention
Ask the Lord to help you search your heart for the reasons that make it difficult for you to become more like Christ in this area. Probably there is something you like about the way you are now. Journal a prayer, asking the Lord to help you give up whatever is holding you back from trusting him with your whole heart…
Means
Select a few Spiritual Disciplines for your Soul to train with Jesus to become more like him with the issue you identified. Exercises can be done daily, weekly, monthly, or as needed. In order to grow in godliness we need to practice a rhythm of life with Jesus and stick with it for a number of months, adjusting the rhythm as the Lord directs. Here are some examples of fundamental spiritual disciplines that people have found helpful to use in their plan for transformation…
- “Watch and pray” to overcome your struggle by relying on God’s grace (Matthew 26:41). To change you need to anticipate the kind of situations ahead in which you will be tested in this area and then pray specifically that God will help you to turn away from your temptation and to reach out for Christ’s hand of grace. (Relying on your own natural abilities to do what you should when you are stressed will not lead to change! With Christ’s help you need to become a different kind of person on the inside.) Write a short prayer that you can repeat often, perhaps based on a Bible verse that expresses the inner change and deeper trust in Christ that you want to develop…
- Identify a Scripture passage related to your struggle to meditate on or memorize…
- Select a discipline of self-denial (e.g., silence, solitude, fasting, submission, frugality, slowing) that will make space for you to engage more deeply with Christ…
- Pick a trusted and respected accountability partner (or group) that you can share with for prayer, confession of struggles, and encouragement…
- Other spiritual discipline(s) to use…
Signature: ________________________________ Date: ______________
Helping people to “Be with Jesus to become like him” is the ministry of Soul Shepherding. We do this in counseling, spiritual mentoring, workshops, and retreats. Our special focus is on pastors and ministry leaders because when they are helped to be more of who God has called them to be then hundreds, even thousands, of people are impacted for Christ and his kingdom. Perhaps God would ask you to invest in this ministry?
William Gaultiere, Ph.D. & Kristi Gaultiere, Psy.D. ~ http://www.soulshepherding.org
