On the life-long process of becoming

Thoughts on every Christian's end game

Photo from the author

It’s second nature for most of us to ask children: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I remember when I stepped in to my first classroom, a newly minted teacher, feeling like I had arrived. It didn’t take me long to realize that I wasn’t done growing up. At 40, I’m still wondering what I want to be when I grow up!

When I first started writing, I noticed other writers online talking about their “WIP.” Every niche community has their own lingo, so it took me a minute to realize they were referring to their unfinished manuscript.

A WIP is a work-in-progress.

We, ourselves, are also works-in-progress as we journey along in our lives with God. The ultimate question is not “What do you want to be when you grow up?” but “Who do you want to be?”

And if we are disciples, our answer is: more and more like Jesus.

Jesus was not a worry-er. He lived his life with radical trust in God. These last few weeks, I’ve been challenged in my own thought life to become more like Jesus when it comes to my anxiety. I’m learning to stop clutching to control and to stop leaning so hard on my own understanding and instead turn to God in prayer. Over and over. I’m still a WIP.

C.S Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity: “Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.”

If our end game is to become a “little Christ,” it begs the question: How?

I know of no better way to do this than by engaging in spiritual practices, or habits of faith, if you will. In all the research and reading I did to create my digital course on spiritual practices, I never came across anything that would specifically help me trust God instead of defaulting to anxiety.

I took a cue from something Jesus said in Matthew 6 and designed my own simple spiritual practice and shared about it here.

But this is a WIP in my life, and I’m wondering if any of you have a go-to spiritual practice you engage in to help you trust God more (?) If you feel comfortable, comment below and share with us!

Something I wrote: Trust God More With This Simple Spiritual Practice. My eyes tend to skim right past those often-quoted Bible verses, but when I paid attention to this one, I wanted to argue… Read more about the spiritual practice helping me let go of my anxiety!

Something I read and loved: Listening to Snakes and Bridesmaids: I loved this take on a classically confusing parable, written (and preached!) by Nadia Bolz-Weber. It challenged me to think of the story in new ways and to examine my own self-reliance.

Something I listened to: Speaking of anxiety, I loved this conversation between Amy Seiffert and Yohanna on the Girls Talking Life podcast, all about overcoming anxiety with spiritual nourishment!

Something I’m cooking: This Tuscan Tortellini Skillet is both easy to make and deliciously filling!

If you’d like a more soul-refreshing morning routine, I hope you’ll check out Jodi Grubb’s free guide! I love how she’s put together this simple framework to follow for a more peaceful routine. (I always look forward to reading Jodi’s Slow Living newsletter, and I know you will too!) Click here to get the free guide!