Conformed to His Image

Kenneth Boa’s book, Conformed to His Image, is one of the best books on spiritual formation from an Evangelical perspective. 

Kenneth Boa views spirituality as “A Gem with Many Facets.” He analyzes the twelve personality types of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and demonstrates how each type expresses spirituality. Here’s a concise overview of the twelve facets of a personal relationship with God through Christ. He asserts that there isn’t a single “correct” way to experience God; rather, each approach is valid, and the objective is to master as many of these facets as possible.

FACET 1
Relational Spirituality: Loving God Completely, Ourselves Correctly, and Others Compassionately
As a communion of three persons, God is a relational being. He originates a personal rela¬tionship with us, and our high and holy calling is to respond to his loving initiatives. By loving God completely, we discover who and whose we are as we come to see ourselves as God sees us. In this way, we become secure enough to become others-centered rather than self-centered, and this enables us to become givers rather than grabbers.

FACET 2
Paradigm Spirituality: Cultivating an Eternal versus a Temporal Perspective
This section contrasts the temporal and eternal value systems and emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift from a cultural to a biblical way of seeing life. The experience of our mortality can help us transfer our hope from the seen to the unseen and realize the preciousness of present opportunities. Our presuppositions shape our perspective, our perspective shapes our priorities, and our priorities shape our practice.

FACET 3
Disciplined Spirituality: Engaging in the Historical Disciplines
There has been a resurgence of interest in the classical disciplines of the spiritual life, and this section looks at the reasons for this trend and the benefits of the various disciplines. It also focuses on the needed balance between radical dependence on God and personal discipline and discusses the dynamics of obedience and application.

FACET 4
Exchanged Life Spirituality: Grasping Our True Identity in Christ
The nineteenth and twentieth centuries saw the growth of an experiential approach to the spiritual life that is based on the believer's new identity in Christ. Identification with Christ in his crucifixion and resurrection (Romans 6; Galatians 2:20) means that our old life has been exchanged for the life of Christ. This approach to spirituality moves from a works to a grace orientation and from legalism to liberty because it centers on our acknowledgment that Christ's life is our life.

FACET 5
Motivated Spirituality: A Set of Biblical Incentives
People are motivated to satisfy their needs for security, significance, and fulfillment, but they turn to the wrong places to have their needs met. This section presents the option of looking to Christ rather than the world to meet our needs. A study of Scripture reveals a number of biblical motivators: these include fear, love and gratitude, rewards, identity, purpose and hope, and longing for God. Our task is to be more motivated by the things God declares to be impor¬tant than by the things the world says are important.

FACET 6
Devotional Spirituality: Falling in Love with God
What are the keys to loving God, and how can we cultivate a growing intimacy with him? This section explores what it means to enjoy God and to trust in him. Henry Scougal observed that "the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love." We are most satisfied when we seek God's pleasure above our own, and we gradually become conformed to what we most love and admire.

FACET 7
Holistic Spirituality: Every Component of Life under the Lordship of Christ
There is a general tendency to treat Christianity as a component of life along with other com¬ponents such as family, work, and finances. This compartmentalization fosters a dichotomy between the secular and the spiritual. The biblical alternative is to understand the implica¬tions of Christ's lordship over every aspect of life in such a way that even the most mundane components of life can become expressions of the life of Christ in us.

FACET 8
Process Spirituality: Process versus Product, Being versus Doing
In our culture, we increasingly tend to be human doings rather than human beings. The world tells us that what we achieve and accomplish determines who we are, but the Scriptures teach that who we are in Christ should be the basis for what we do. The dynamics of growth are inside out rather than outside in. This section talks about becoming faithful to the process of life rather than living from one product to the next. It also focuses on what it means to abide in Christ and to practice his presence.

FACET 9
Spirit-Filled Spirituality: Walking in the Power of the Spirit
Although there are divergent views of spiritual gifts, Spirit-centered believers and Word¬-centered believers agree that until recently, the role of the Holy Spirit has been somewhat neg¬lected as a central dynamic of the spiritual life. This section considers how to appropriate the love, wisdom, and power of the Spirit and stresses the biblical implications of the Holy Spirit as a personal presence rather than a mere force.

FACET 10
Warfare Spirituality: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil
Spiritual warfare is not optional for believers in Christ. Scripture teaches and illustrates the dynamics of this warfare on the three fronts of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The worldly and demonic systems are external to the believer, but they entice and provide opportunities for the flesh, which is the capacity for sin within the believer. This section outlines a biblical strategy for dealing with each of these barriers to spiritual growth.

FACET 11
Nurturing Spirituality: A Lifestyle of Evangelism and Discipleship
The believer's highest call in ministry is to reproduce the life of Christ in others. Reproduction takes the form of evangelism for those who do not know Christ and edification for those who do. This section develops a philosophy of discipleship and evangelism and looks at edifica¬tion and evangelism as a way of life; lifestyle discipleship and evangelism are the most effec¬tive and realistic approaches to unbelievers and believers within our sphere of influence.

FACET 12
Corporate Spirituality: Encouragement, Accountability, and Worship
We come to faith as individuals, but we grow in community. This section discusses the need for community, challenges and creators of community, the nature and purpose of the church, soul care, servant leadership, accountability, and renewal.

CONCLUSION
Continuing on the Journey
What does it take to stay in the race? This concluding chapter considers a variety of issues related to finishing well, including intimacy with Christ, fidelity in the spiritual disciplines, a biblical perspective on the circumstances of life, teachability, personal purpose, healthy rela¬tionships, and ongoing ministry.


APPENDIX A:
The Need for Diversity
This appendix portrays the current hunger for spirituality and the reasons for this hunger. There are a variety of approaches to the spiritual life, but these are facets of a larger gem that is greater than the sum of its parts. Conformed to His Image takes a broader, more synthetic approach by looking at all of these facets and seeing how each can contribute to the whole. Some people are attracted to different facets, and this relates in part to our personality profile (the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a valuable tool for this purpose). Readers are asked to identify the ones they are most and least attracted to and are encour¬aged to stretch themselves by trying one they would normally not pursue.

APPENDIX B:
The Richness of Our Heritage
This appendix outlines a brief history of spirituality by tracing prominent approaches to the spiritual life through the ancient, medieval, and modern churches. This provides a broader perspective and a sense of continuity with others who have pursued intimacy with God before us. Twelve recurring issues and extremes emerge from this overview, and this appen¬dix concludes with a word about the variety of approaches that can illuminate our journey.

Pioneering Possibilities

IV. Summit Four: Pioneer Possibilities
A. That’s Impossible
1. Thank people for being caring enough to look out for your best interests.
2. But then ask, “What if…? What if the thing you’ve always dreamed of doing is possible? How would it feel to be the one who made it happen? What if, by making the impossible possible, you opened a whole new world of opportunities for yourself, your organization, and the people around you?”
3. The first step to greatness is to select an adversity-rich, worthy challenge that will stretch you in new ways and represent new possibilities, if achieved.
4. The second step is to create a plan and engineer the systems that will be the key to helping you get there.
5. The third step is to practice to perfect so you can make those systems work when they count the most.

B. What is Pioneering?
1. Do you spend most of your time doing the tried and true or do you continually invent new ways of getting things done?
2. Plate: “The true creator is necessity, which is the mother of our invention.”
3. Three Steps of Pioneering:
a) Pick a worthy goal
b) Devise signature systems
c) Practice to perfect

C. Pick a Worthy Goal
1. Ask: What if I could do something that has never been done before?
2. Factors to consider:
a) Motivation: Why do you want to do it? Tie it to a higher, grander purpose.
b) Strengths: (Will + Skill = Strengths) To what extent would this goal leverage existing strengths or require the forging of new ones? Do you have the will necessary to achieve this goal?
c) Excitement: How excited does this goal make you?

D. Devise Signature Systems
1. You may need to invent new ways of doing things that are customized to your needs and situation. These solutions become uniquely yours.
2. “If necessity is the mother of invention, then adversity is the parent of our possibilities.”
3. The best solutions are PROPS:
a) Portable: you can take them from place to place.
b) Replicable or Repeatable: they can be readily rebuilt, reused or repeated.
c) Original: they tend to be clever and unique.
d) Personal: they fit and are adapted to you, your unique style and needs.
e) Simple: they require a minimum of steps, hassles, and resources.

E. Practice to Perfect
1. Adapt, revise and improve the systems until they are perfected. Don’t get discouraged but keep at it. Most ingenious systems are the result of tenacity, relentlessness and perseverance, not genius or brilliance.
2. Questions to ask:
a) What are the criteria for an effective Signature System or solution?
b) Where and how can you practice with the new system?
c) What will you try first?
d) How will you refine your solution?
e) Where or how else might you try it?
f) Who can give you helpful feedback?
g) When or how soon can you begin?
h) How long do you need to figure it out?


From: The Adversity Advantage, Paul G. Stoltz and Erik Weihenmayer

In order to win with people you must first be a winner yourself

1. In order to win with people you must first be a winner yourself.

You can’t be happy unless you are healthy. Being healthy is more than not just being sick but includes being physically, emotionally and psychologically healthy and strong. You can’t give what you don’t have. Being a winner is more than being kind, warm, mature, stable or any other character quality. It comes down to one thing: your value. You must own your value. If you are secure in who you are, then you have become a winner.

First, to be a winner, you must recognize your value, so that no matter what may happen to you, you still have the same value. Second, you must accept your value. Change what you can change but accept what you cannot change. Third, increase your value. Solve as many of your own problems as you can. Fourth, believe in your value. Fifth, bank on your value. Who you are is the greatest asset you will ever possess.

To apply this principle: Forget about what makes you feel insecure. Ask how you can increase your value to benefit yourself and others. Act to make yourself more valuable to others.


From: 25 Ways to Win with People, by John Maxwell and Les Parrott.

Its a Whole New World

“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.” Abraham Lincoln

A new reality has emerged, a new economy, a new challenge.

We must think anew and develop a new mind-set and a new skill-set and a new tool-set that flows from it.


Adapted from The 8th Habit, by Stephen Covey.

Today Matters, Decision #12: GROWTH

12. Decision #12: GROWTH: “Today’s growth gives me potential”
Seek and experience improvements daily.

Become what you are capable of becoming.

Growth is not automatic. Take responsibility for your growth or it won’t happen.
Growth doesn’t come simply by gaining knowledge. Knowledge must be used to be of value.
Growth doesn’t come with experience. Reflection on experience is essential.

Importance of growth:
1. Gifting without growth leads to ineffectiveness. Build on your talent. If you merely draw on your talent without growing you will run out of resources.
2. It prevents personal and professional stagnation. Don’t make external changes but pursue internal changes.
3. Your personal growth impacts your organization’s growth. If you want to grow the organization you must first grow the leader. In order to DO more I’ve got to BE more.
4. Only through continuous improvement can you reach your full potential.
Tartar tribe curse: “May you stay in one place forever.”

Practical steps:
1. Make a commitment to maximize your potential. “What is my potential?” Boy with only one hand, “I don’t have a handicap, I only have one hand.”
2. Make a commitment to change. Can’t expect things to stay the same and become better at the same time. “The only thrill worthwhile is the thrill of making something of yourself.”
3. Set growth goals. Set goals in specific areas of your strengths: communication, leadership, etc. Areas that will add value to yourself personally and professionally.
4. Put yourself in a growth environment. We will grow to the size of our environment. We will expand to reach our potential.

Every day I will grow on purpose with my plan. Continually tailor your growth plan to your changing situation.

Make it your goal to improve in some way every day. Break large goals down into small achievable goals.