A Posture for Transformation

Blog by Gem Fadling

I’ve long been intrigued by process, and, paired with my natural bent toward curiosity, I paused once to ask God how my life’s journey had brought me to that current point. Of course, I could look back and see how I had imperfectly and messily traversed all of the circumstances in my life—the highs, the lows, and the in-betweens. But what propelled me forward before, during, and after each season, keeping in mind the dynamics of a life of transformation? How did I make my way through resistance?

As I pondered my journey, the first three dynamics that arose from within were the words open, aware, and willing.

Open: Do you want it? Openness implies receptivity, the opposite of being closed up, small, narrow, and the attitude “I don’t need that.” We don’t have to be perfectly open. God welcomes us at our current state of readiness. However, at any point, we can decide to become even just a bit more open so that we can welcome whatever is next. Throughout every season of our lives, it is possible to be open and listen to God’s voice and follow his promptings.

This means having the courage to stretch beyond what feels safe. Any real change requires leaving the safety of where we are to venture into new territory. How much do you want transformation that leads to greater freedom? Engaging with an open heart and mind can keep the pathway clear.

Aware: Are you noticing? After identifying a sense of being open, the next dynamic to emerge is awareness. This begs the question of having access to a higher consciousness. We can call this part of ourselves the “inner observer.” The inner observer allows us to stand back a bit and get a more objective look at what is going on. When we don’t engage the inner observer, we can get stuck in reactive mode.

With our inner observer engaged we can notice more often what is going on inside of us which, in turn, can lead to insights that lead to healing. Awareness takes as much courage as openness because we are saying that we are not afraid to dig deeper into our inner world. We are not afraid to tackle our weaknesses and issues. We are not afraid to notice what is occurring in our relationships and take appropriate action for change.

Willing: Are you willing to take action? Right on the heels of being open and aware, we find willingness. Are we willing to do something about what we have been open to and the inner dynamics we found as we became more aware? This is an important moment. If we are not willing to take action, then, by definition, we will remain behind the wall of resistance.

Reflection

 Check in with yourself. Think of one area of desired change in your life. Are you: 

• Open: Do you want it?
• Aware: Are you noticing?
• Willing: Are you willing to take action?

Being open, aware, and willing is the place to begin if we find ourselves stuck in resistance. Each word is invitational and implies gracious presence with ourselves and others.

P.S. What Does Your Soul Love? is the perfect book to use for your upcoming small group season. There are journal/conversation questions at the end of each chapter and there is a small group guide in the appendix. Order from your favorite bookstore.

Taken from What Does Your Soul Love? by Gem & Alan Fadling. ©2019 by Gem & Alan Fadling. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press. www.ivpress.com.