“Spiritual transformation is the process by which Christ is formed in us for the glory of God, for the abundance of our own lives, and for the sake of others.” – Ruth Haley Barton
“…a fourfold definition of spiritual formation as: (1) a process (2) of being conformed (3) to the image of Christ (4) for the sake of others.” – M. Robert Mulholland Jr.
Josh’s Story:
“I thought by now it would be have gotten easier.
“Two years ago, this is what I found myself saying. After 14 years of faith in Jesus and intently striving to follow after Him, I found myself tired, discouraged, and questioning. Not questioning the existence of Jesus nor the work that He had done in my life over the nearly decade and a half previous, but questioning why life was still… so… challenging.
“It had begun with my parents separating in my late elementary years, and eventual divorcing shortly thereafter. I’d been forced to move homes, move schools, form brand new friendships, and discover new life rhythms. Instead of coming home from school to a happy home, I found myself after school headed to an empty house with little joy. Through my middle school and high school years, I had begun to learn the art of ‘hiding’ and ‘stuffing’. Looking back now, I realize that there was a common message communicated to me, again and again, in both verbal and non-verbal ways: ‘Life is tough. Deal with it. Put on a happy face because no one likes a complainer.’
“So that’s what I had done. I hid my pain, hurt, and disappointment with life; I stuffed my resentment, discouragement, and disillusionment. I’d learned through a childhood of athletics that the person who works the hardest gets the most affirmation and recognition, so I applied this same reasoning to the rest of my life. Work hard. Stay positive. And most importantly, don’t let anyone get too close, because that’s when you’re likely to get hurt.
“This outlook seemed to serve me well through high school. I could quickly make friends, find a place on a sports team, and achieve just well enough academically to seem like a ‘good kid’.
“But inside, I felt like I was suffocating. I didn’t trust anyone to open up about this, or have anyone around me who seemed to have any real answers. But when I encountered Jesus at 18, it all seemed to make a little more sense. Life was hard, but that was because of this thing called ‘sin’. The mistakes of my past could be forgiven by Jesus’ blood on the cross. And faith and hope in Him was supposed to make things better.
“Yet here I was, 14 years into that journey of following Jesus… and life still felt challenging and lonely. And I was tired. So tired.
“I had served in full-time ministry for the past decade. I had disciplined myself to wake up early to pray, read my Bible and be alone with God. I was trying to do all the right things, but yet, it never seemed to be enough. Discipline, instilled in my life at a young age, had become the driving force in my life. Yet, in spite of all my best disciplines, I still didn’t seem to know what Jesus meant by His coming for us to have ‘life, to the fullest.’
The Impact of Spiritual Mentoring:
“Thankfully, I was referred by a friend to meet with Randy. It was only then that I began to discover what it looks like to risk vulnerability, to deal with shame head-on, and to find my identity in who God says I am in Jesus and not by what I have accomplished for Him.
“Over the past nearly two years of meeting with Randy I’ve discovered how so much of the pain I was experiencing was actually self-inflicted. I was holding myself to self-imposed standards, impossible for anyone to meet. I was setting goals that only God could accomplish, yet holding myself responsible if they didn’t come to fruition. I was exhausted by my lack of boundaries, having let myself become enslaved to others’ demands and expectations, fearful that telling someone ‘no’ would be perceived as ungodly. Additionally, I’d never spent time digging into the pain of my past and inviting Jesus to bring healing into my deepest and most well-hidden wounds.
“I couldn’t be more grateful for the gift that I’ve received in my regular times of meeting and being mentored through Legacy Shepherding Ministries, Inc. I’ve discovered new depths in my relationship with God, moving from striving for affection to simply receiving His love. I’ve been able to create healthier life rhythms with the people closest to me, better able to truly love them. I’ve also become more comfortable with taking risks to share authentically with those I trust, inviting them to know me more fully.
“This has brought clarity to my ministry, allowing me find my identity rooted in Christ and not my accomplishments, while heightening my awareness for what goals are healthy and achievable, and what is beyond my capacity to influence or achieve. I’ve been given some practical and helpful tools I can use to help both the students of our ministry, as well as our leaders, take next steps in their own relationship with Christ.
“Fear has been replaced with freedom. Hurt has been eclipsed by hope. Striving has been overcome by Son-ship.” – Josh Jackaway
Spiritual Formation:
Josh is experiencing: (1) the on-going process (2) of being conformed (3) into the image of Christ (4) for the sake of others.
The “for the sake of others” part is mainly being accomplished through Josh being a full-time pastor who invests in middle-school and high-school students, and the volunteers who help lead them, many of whom are college students. While Christ is being formed in me, Christ is being formed in Josh, and Josh is helping Christ be formed in students, who will hopefully, in turn, help Christ be formed in others. Discipleship.
Hopefully, moving forward with some new insights and tools, Josh will continue the process of having Christ formed in him: 1) for the glory of God, 2) for the abundance of his own life (not the depletion of his own life), and 3) for the sake and benefit of others.
Prayer Requests:
Would you please join me in prayer over the next 40 days for the following?
- Please pray that the Lord would supernaturally empower the process of forming Christ in the young leaders who He draws to this ministry; for God’s glory, the abundance of their own lives, so they may lovingly bless others and guide others into the love of Christ.
- I am trusting God to raise an additional $1,000 in monthly support for 2019 and on (payable monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. Whatever works best for each generous contributor.). Would you please pray that God would raise up financial partners to meet that need?
- If you are receiving this letter and are not currently a financial partner, would you please pray and ask God if He might be calling you to join me and this ministry as a financial co-laborer in Christ?
- If you are already a financial partner, would you please pray and ask the Lord if He would want you to increase your annual giving?
Thanks for praying! Contributions are tax deductible.
In His Love, Randy
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