Renovation of the Heart, Ch. 4

Willard fires this quote from Calvin: "For the surest source of destruction to men is to obey themselves, so the only haven of safety is to have no other will, no other wisdom, than to follow the Lord wherever He leads. Let this, then, be the first step, to abandon ourselves, and to devote the whole energy of our minds to the service of God." From there Willard paints a convicting picture of the spiritual life that is characterized by self-denial. The path to spiritual formations is (in my words) "Whoever does not give up their great ideas about how to live and what is important, daily walk around with a gun pointed at their own head, and follow the path and presence of God (into self, Word, community and mission) cannot have a happy life." We release our rights, responsibilities and control and give them to the one who has them anyway: God. Our initiatives and actions are directed only at Him. This seems so simple yet so profound. This is the foundation of the spiritual life in Christ.