Christian spiritual formation is the focus of my life. Dallas Willard defines this as “the Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self in such a way that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself.” When it’s all said and done, what really matters to me is that my life is being increasingly formed into Jesus’ likeness. I know that to the extent that this is happening, I will be a source of love, joy, and peace as a husband, father, and friend.

I’m a convert to the Eastern Orthodox Church. We have a word for this process — theosis. This is the transformative process of becoming like God. A popular quote by St Athanasius is “God became man so that man might become God.” He has called us to become by grace what God is by nature.

I mention being an Eastern Orthodox Christian because the primary influences in my understanding and practice of Christian spiritual formation come from Protestant sources. (Anyone who has endured a few of my blog posts knows I’m heavily influenced by Dallas Willard.) As much as I love Willard’s insights, I don’t think there’s a “right” technique or formula to practicing spiritual formation. God has been masterfully forming people into Jesus’ likeness from the beginning.

So while the wisdom of people like Willard has proven invaluable to me, there is no correct method to practicing spiritual formation. I believe there are, however, some general principles to keep in mind.

First, spiritual formation requires being Jesus’ apprentice. Jesus is the Master of life in God’s kingdom — God’s reign for the flourishing of his creation. And he is alive and present in every moment of your life to train you into his likeness. He will personally train you into submitting to God’s will. He will personally train you into cooperating with God’s transforming grace. He will personally train you into the full embodiment and practice of God’s love. Jesus is the Master and everything in your life is done in interactive relationship with him.

Second, being Jesus’ apprentice requires your effort. God does the transforming. But it requires your cooperation. This usually takes the form of spiritual disciplines easily practiced during the regular routines of your daily life. Nothing heroic is required since the disciplines themselves don’t transform. Simply practicing spiritual disciplines in and of themselves won’t transform you. They are to bring aspects of who you are and your real life into dynamic interaction with God’s grace.

Third, the goal of being Jesus’ apprentice is becoming like him from the inside-out. It’s not about simply changing your behavior so you act lovingly, joyfully, peacefully, or patiently. That’s just acting. Rather, it’s becoming increasingly permeated with divine love in every aspect of who you are, including your body. So like God, you are love, joy, peace, and patience. Then your behavior will naturally flow out of this reality within you.

As I write this, the global Christian Church is entering Lent. (Okay, I know us Eastern Orthodox are starting Lent a week later than everyone else.) These forty days before Easter is a time of repentance where we practice three classic spiritual disciplines based off of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount — fasting, prayer, and giving. Different Christian traditions will practice these disciplines differently. For example, some will fast from meat, while others dairy, oil, and meat, while others will “give up something.” One way is not more or less spiritual than the others. Frankly, someone can fast from food all forty days and remain unspiritual and unchanged while someone else could minimally refrain from something and experience incredible formation into Christ’s likeness.

Remember, the key is to follow Jesus as his apprentice. Listen to him. Let him show you how to fast and how to apply that fasting to specific areas of your life. 

Here’s an example. Maybe Jesus wants to use Lent to address the lack of contentment in your life. As such, he’s asking you to refrain from online shopping during Lent. But don’t just avoid Amazon, EBay, Etsy or other online platforms. When you feel the urge to visit those sites, go for a casual walk or drive and talk to God about what is causing that urge. Supplement this with memorizing and reciting a passage like Philippians 4:11-13 or 1Timothy 6:6-11. Also, intentionally make time to serve others as you fast during Lent. Take up something creative like drawing or writing. The key is to use the fast and any supplemental practices to interact with Jesus as his apprentice, letting him teach you about how to bring this aspect into the flourishing reign of God.

Here’s another example. Maybe Jesus wants to use Lent to address how you treat people. John Ortberg’s podcast, Become New, has started a Lenten series to help people “give up condemnation for Lent.” Commit yourself to listen to his short daily podcast in the morning and prayerfully practice some of the applications throughout the day. Do this in constant conversation with Jesus. Supplement this with memorizing and reciting a passage like Philippians 2:3-4 or Ephesians 4:1-3. Make a commitment to learn people’s names or to praise something about each person you interact with. Again, use the fast and supplemental practices to interact with Jesus as his apprentice.

These are only examples. Jesus is the Master Practitioner of life in God’s kingdom. Ask him how you should fast, pray, and give this Lent. Let him show you how to experiment with these disciplines. And let him show you how he may want you to creatively use other supplemental disciplines. Most importantly, constantly interact with him through Lent. Ask him to address aspects of your thoughts, feelings, decision-making, habits, and relationships in light of these disciplines. Use each morning to commit the day to following and interacting with Jesus and use each evening to reflect on what you learned that day. I think you’ll be amazed at what he shows you.