Spiritual Direction
Imagine the possibilities of being set free to be all that God designed us to be! Jesus intends to transform our lives into his image. The journey involves identifying and deconstructing any false ideas about Jesus or self that insulate us from his love. The New Testament has a lot to say about this process, but we miss it. This may mean reading the Bible again for the first time.
Exploring
Paul continues to explore the heart’s inner workings in 2 Corinthians 10:5. He recognizes the interwoven ‘grid’ of collected life experiences that make us uniquely us. When this grid does not reflect what is objectively true, we need to tear it down. As opposed to the false teachers Paul is addressing, authentic Christ-followers have the power to dismantle this old way of being and to be made new in the image of Jesus.
5 We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
—2 Corinthians 10:5 (NASB)
Arguments, logismos, is a rare word translated as “imaginations or reasonings.” The root meaning is “collect, harvest, put together.” It describes a process of collecting or harvesting perceptions and experiences over time, combining and logically integrating their meaning into a cohesive understanding. It refers to the way we perceive and value everything through the grid of our lived experience, which is constantly being ‘recalculated.’ Paul says that we have the power to dismantle false conclusions that stand in opposition to what God says is true.
Question
What one belief/experience/circumstance has shaped your identity since childhood, that if you could overcome the impact, would change the trajectory of your life?