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Spiritual formation concepts
RTCH-500
Liberty University
SPIRITUAL FORMATION CONCEPTS d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d
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The spiritual self of an individual is an extremely powerful element that can help
people to get closer to the Almighty. In order to become spiritual in nature, it is necessary
to develop the character of an individual. As stated by Reid Kisling, a person can become
strong in the spiritual sense by developing his or her innate character in every walk of life
and faith (Pettit, 2008). The character of a person is an intimate element that plays a key
role to shape the individual and his very actions and deeds. Thus while forming the
internal spiritual self, a person needs to focus on developing his character so that he can
move a step closer to Christ.
Bill Miller has stressed on the point of love to form the spiritual character of a person. He
has given a high priority to love as it bridges the gap between human beings and Jesus
Christ.
Love is the main component that can bring people closer to one another and help
them to get in close proximity to the Christ. It acts as the main foundation of community
and it can have a major impact on the spiritual formation of individuals. In the book, the
objective of the writers is to encourage the readers to move a step closer to the Lord by
following different spiritual formation paths (Pettit, 2008). The spiritual enrichment is the
ultimate thing that can help people to build strong and integrated communities. d d d
Plan of action to address the areas
In order to follow the path of spiritual formation, it is necessary for an individual to
have a strong character. Building a strong character is not a cakewalk for a person because
a number of distractions arise in his or her environment. It is necessary to focus on the
core facets of spiritual formation namely reflective reading, active repentance, complete
stewardship, penetrating prayer and community accountability. These specific set of
practices are of key significance as they can help a person to adopt a disciple approach in
life. These principles are the key to help a person build a strong character that can
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strengthen the spiritual foundation of a person (Christianitytoday.com, 2018). Following
these steps on a daily basis while leading their lives is necessary as it can help them to
enrich the knowledge in terms of spirituality. By following these simple techniques a
person can build a strong character that is based on honesty and truthfulness. These are the
core elements that need to be incorporated into his walk of faith so that the inner spiritual
self can be enriched to a certain degree. Such an approach in the daily walks of life can
play a vital role to help people to lead a spiritual life where people are close to the Lord
(Christianitytoday.com, 2018).
The love is a key element that is necessary for individuals to get spiritually closer
to Christ. In order to become spiritually rich in the character, people need to have the love
for one another so that a strong sense of community can be created in the process.
Spirituality is something that can connect an individual with the Lord in the true sense
(Pettit, 2008). For the purpose of eliminating filters that exist between the human beings
and the Christ, people need to have love in their hearts for each other. It can help them to
have a sense of internal peace and tranquillity. The sense of calmness which is the result
of love and affection can play a vital role to enrich the inner spiritual character of
individuals. Giving high priority to love is extremely vital as this feeling helps individuals
to eliminate the negative emotions and strengthen the inner spiritual strength.
Thus building of a strong character and having love in the heart are some of the
basic elements that are needed so that people can strengthen their inner level of spirituality.
These elements must be taken care on a daily basis so that people can strengthen
themselves in the spiritual context (Pettit, 2008). The spiritual formation is a basic
necessity which can help individuals to get closer to the Christ. In order to strengthen the
spiritual character, it is vital to imbibe the core spiritual formation concepts in the daily
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walks of life. This approach can help people to build and strengthen themselves at the
spiritual level and strengthen their faith in the Lord.
Advice for an individual planning enter seminary
Entering a seminary is a major decision that can completely transform the life and the
approach towards life. A person that intends to enter a seminary must see life as a vessel
where he is getting the opportunity to get closer to the Almighty. By adopting this
approach, he can give high priority to the things that actually matter in his life. For
instance, he can give priority to his marriage and his family life. Such an approach can
help him to imbibe all the positive qualities in life such as love, honesty integrity (Pettit,
2008). These elements are a fundamental necessity that can help him to strengthen his
spiritual character.
One of the main challenges that most of the students face after entering seminary
arises due to their impatient. So it is highly essential to cultivate the internal patience and
stability so that all the learning can be effectively captured. A holistic learning process can
be possible only if a person is willing to act and react in a patient manner. The statement
patience is the key to success is the apt line acts as the students who enter a seminary.
Patience can open numerous paths for the student in the new and enriching learning
environment. Since in seminary, the learning ambience would be quite different as
compared to the other learning settings, a person needs to carefully and patiently take in
the learning elements that come across his or her way. A gradual approach will be crucial
to not only enhance the overall experience of the person in the environment, but it can also
play a vital role to enrich the spiritual self of the person.
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References
Christianitytoday.com. (2018). 5 Facets in Spiritual Formation. Retrieved from
https://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/articles/spiritualformation/beingformed.
html
Pettit, P. (Ed.). (2008). Foundations of spiritual formation: A community approach to
becoming like Christ. Kregel Academic.
