The phrase, “Try Softer” has been simmering inside of me since I read it. It is a key component of The Me I Want To Be - Becoming God’s Best Version of You (based on the book by the same title by John Ortberg) worship and small group series we are currently in the midst of.
For nearly my entire life I have been taught that growing spiritually into God’s best version of me involves certain prescribed spiritual disciplines. For example, early morning devotional time, daily writing in a journal, praying for a certain length of time in a certain way, etc. John Ortberg, defines a spiritual discipline as, “simply an activity you engage in to be made more fully alive by the Spirit of God”. I have seen this come to life in a new way as I have re-read about the lives of many persons in the Bible. No two people grew to become God’s best version of them in the same way.
This means I have to change how I think about what “counts” as spiritual, for what makes an activity spiritual is NOT the activity itself. It is whether or not I do it with and through the Spirit of God. It is the quality of the presence and interaction with the Spirit while I am doing the activity. In fact many times the people in the Gospels who got into the most trouble with Jesus were the ones who thought they were working hardest on their spiritual life.
The river of living water, God’s Spirit, is always ready to guide you toward God’s best version of you. I invite you to try softer, try better, and try different to engage the Spirit of God in ways that make you more fully alive. I would like to hear how this is working out for you.
Reflecting on "The Me I Want To Be - Becoming God's Best Version of You" - John Ortberg
