Summarize
Becoming the best version of oneself requires deliberate effort through spiritual
formation. Spiritual formation occurs when, as John Ortberg asserts, “God uses people to form
people.”1 However, formation begins with an understanding of oneself through the lens of
whom God created each person to be. Ortberg attempts to lay out a progression of spiritual
formation beginning with spiritual rebirth, renewal of mind, and redemption of lost time. From
there, the formation of spiritual identity becomes forged through the relationships within the
body of Christ.
Start Here
Jesus came that we might have life and have it to the fullest (John 10:10). Unfortunately,
this life has been elusive for many, and the life that Jesus’ promises remain null in void. For
these unfortunate individuals, life remains unfulfilled and the pursuit of something more
increases to find satisfaction. Fulfillment comes from surrendering to Jesus Christ. Surrender
does not suggest passivity but actively trusting Christ. Instead, some have opted to find
fulfillment by doing or through accomplishment. Therefore, Jesus' words do not ring true for the
individual nor become a reality.
According to Ortberg, life becomes meaningful when a person realizes God made us, and
God knows how to satisfy each person’s life. True fulfillment does not come by keeping rules.
Ortberg says, “There is an enormous difference between following rules and following Jesus
because I can follow the rules without cultivating the right heart.”2 Therefore, fulfillment and
formation do not occur by keeping the rules. Fulfillment and formation actualize through the
1 John Ortberg. The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God’s Best Version of You. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2014), 182
2 John Ortberg. The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God’s Best Version of You. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2014), 28
development of one’s inner, private world. Ortberg describes this process as spiritual formation.
He defines spiritual formation as “…the process by which your inner self and character are
shaped.”3 The danger of not developing ones’ inner self has dangerous implications. An
imbalanced life could suddenly collapse due to unforeseen gaps in one’s life under the pressure
of busyness. These gaps due develop due to negligence.
A remedy to this negligence that Ortberg challenges the reader to do is change the way a
person thinks. He states, “True change always begins in our mind.”4 Ortberg does a great job
emphasizing that “At the beginning of our life with God, we are aware of a gap between God and
us, separation from God because of sin.”5 Simply changing one’s mind does not lead to life-
giving, life-stirring change. Encountering Jesus precedes mind change, and therefore, real life
begins.
Life is Better in Community
Personal responsibility certainly is essential in spiritual formation, but Ortberg spends an
exorbitant amount of time on personal formation apart from the community. In chapter four,
Ortberg offers some advice to the person attending out of obligation. He says, “Stop going to
church.”6 That is a drop the mic moment! First, Ortberg should have provided a better
description of the church as a people not a place. For many, the church is a place a person attend
focuses on the event of worship. The church becomes viewed as an organization rather than an
organism. If the church is an organism, it is alive and able to repair some brokenness. If a
person cuts themselves off from the church, isolation occurs and opportunity for further harm
3 John Ortberg. The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God’s Best Version of You. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2014), 29
4 John Ortberg. The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God’s Best Version of You. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2014), 90
5 John Ortberg. The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God’s Best Version of You. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2014), 38
6 John Ortberg. The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God’s Best Version of You. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2014), 58
may occur. Many people remove themselves from the body when life circumstances happen. I
disagree with Ortberg's assertion that a person must remove themselves from the church as it
makes the person susceptible to further dangers. However, the body of Christ must be a safe
place where the fallen are restored. Ortberg needed more clarity about what the church is.
God established for himself, a new community that is radically different from what this
postmodern culture defines as a community. God’s definition of community involves an attitude
of caring and sharing to ensure that each person receives what is due to them. Postmodern
culture defines community through the rose-colored lenses of social media that proliferates
artificial relationships. Therefore, deep and meaningful relationships are limited due to a lack of
human-to-human interactions. By definition, the culture reinforces the hyper-individualistic
lifestyles that have become the norm. Where Ortberg gets it right is that “Spending meaningful
time with people who care about us is indispensable to human flourishing.”7 He goes on to say
that “Connectedness is not the same thing as knowing many people. People may have many
contacts in many networks, but they may not have any friends.”8 “Stop going to church” does
reconcile with knowing people. Therefore, the church is more than a building or a service to
attend but a community! Believers in the gospel become a part of this new gospel community.
In the book of Acts, new believers immediately immersed themselves in this new way of
living. Immediately following the inauguration of the Gospel community in Acts, each of the
new community members did something miraculous, they had all things in common with each
other and began selling their possessions and belongings, and they distributed the proceeds to all
if they were in need (Acts 2:44-45). The character of the gospel community began to take shape.
7 John Ortberg. The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God’s Best Version of You. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2014), 182
8 John Ortberg. The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God’s Best Version of You. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2014), 183
God’s new community was characterized by its sharing and caring for one another. Devotion to
this new community developed new norms and a new outlook of possessions.
Conclusion
Why does the church exist? The church exists to accomplish God’s mission of making
disciples. Therefore, the mission of God must be the starting place for spiritual formation. “The
Me I Want to Be” offers insight on personal responsibility in spiritual formation, but the book is
light on the role of the body of Christ in spiritual formation. Ortberg addresses relationships but
bifurcates “the church” and these relationships. I view the church and relationships as
inseparable.
