Jesus is my Lord, now what?

I remember clearly when I accepted the life-changing grace and forgiveness of Jesus. My heart and soul were the lightest they had ever been — the love, peace, and security were overwhelming.

That pivotal moment was so striking that I knew my life had been changed, and I was set on a new trajectory.

But what do I do now?

Do you relate?

Accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior is the entryway to both eternal life in Heaven and experiencing God’s abundant freedom here on earth. While the first is received by grace, the second takes intention/action— and this is what we call spiritual formation.

Spiritual formation is the gradual shaping of our heart, mind, desires, habits, and responses. It is happening all the time, whether we realize it or not. The things we consume, the people we spend time with, the pain we experience, the habits we practice, and even the ways we avoid discomfort are all shaping who we are becoming.

Spiritual formation happens in the expected times, like going to church, but it also happens during the mundane moments — at school, while scrolling, at work, and during holiday dinners. Yep, even when you’re trying to avoid Aunt Rita.

As Christians, we’re called to be intentional about our spiritual formation.

Luke 9:23 says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Our first step is becoming aware that we’re being shaped, whether we’re intentional about it or not. Once we’re aware, we can become intentional — inviting God into those forming moments.

Over time, we begin to experience God’s faithful love as our hearts are shaped to look more like Jesus.