02.01.2010    Michael Fox CPCC, founder of m�agine!, is a professional coach and trainer, author and creative artist, whose work has been featured throughout the world. Michael is a Certified Practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.� Do you know someone who might benefit from our weekly email?   Jesus on spiritual formation [1]... Drop a small stone into a placid lake. Watch as a series of concentric circles of water quietly radiate from the spot where the water swallowed the stone. This playful interaction with nature illustrates Jesus' model of spiritual formation... Although it's easily overlooked--Jesus spoke of spiritual formation when he answered the scribe's question, "What commandment is the greatest?" Jesus' reply is the cornerstone of "inside/out" spiritual formation: "The foremost [commandment] is...'you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart [desires, passions], and with all your soul [inner man, character], and with all your mind [intellect, thoughts, feelings], and with all your strength [outer man, behavior].' The second [commandment] is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" [Mark 12:28-31]. Jesus' heart, soul, mind, strength paradigm of spiritual formation requires, at its root--not the repression of your desires--but the transformation of your desires, the passions, of your heart. From running from, to turning to; from fear, to love; from the casual surrender of your minds to the unquenchable desires of the flesh, to the intentional focus of your minds on the desires of the spirit. Desire is at the influential "heart" of Jesus' paradigm of spiritual formation. And so, the transformation of our desires can be likened to the impact of the stone we dropped into the water. Spiritual formation quietly radiates outward from heart to soul to mind to strength. A common question Jesus used to initiate spiritual conversation is the one he posed of blind Bartimaeus in Jericho: "What do you want Me to do for you?" (Mark 10:51). Or to reframe the question, "What do you desire of me?" On yet another occasion, Jesus encountered a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years, laying at a portico of the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, hoping for a miracle. Jesus confronted the man and asked, "Do you wish to get well?" (John 5:1-6). Some trusted translators interpret Jesus' words and tone to insist, "How badly do you want it?" Or, "How great is your desire?" Desire--nay, a deep, compelling passion--is at the influential "heart" of Jesus' paradigm of spiritual formation. If Jesus were to ask you face to face, "What do you desire of me?," how would you reply? It's an essential question that many do not know to ask. How badly do you want it? What spiritual practices have you engaged to fulfill the desire of your heart? Are there ways you are seeking to satisfy a distinctive core desire apart from relationship with the Father? How's that working out for you? In what sense is spiritual formation a matter of "navigation" rather than "gravitation"? And, now, the question for a lifetime...how might you align your distinctive desires with God's distinctive desires? What might you need to discover your "kingdom heart"? Michael Fox m�agine! 530/613.2774 407 Myrtle Drive Farmerville, LA, USA 71241   In addition to personal and professional coaching, m�agine! specializes in spiritual transformation coaching, employing its proprietary models --Values, Vision, Voice and Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength-- as well as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator� curriculum published by CPP, the People Development People. Michael's books include  Complete in Christ, Complete in Christ Spiritual Transformation Workbook, and Biblio�files. Coaching fees are based upon a sliding scale. Contact us for details. For additional information, visit our website at maginethepossibilities.net. Limited scholarships are available for spiritual transformation coaching. On the flip side, if you are able, please inquire about opportunities to fund scholarships for those who cannot afford coaching fees. View our archives!