Moving to the dark side!

I am a great Star Wars fan, having been to open day midnight sessions of the movies for all 4 of the last movies including 1,2,3 and last years latest offering. As I was reading  chapter one in the Good and Beautiful Life the opposite sides of the force came to mind.

It is often easy to assume that Spiritual Formation is about moving towards God. But is that the case?

Using Romans 1:18-32 James Bryan Smith points out is easier to move away from God than towards him on some occasions. Now there is food for thought because you are still becoming spiritually formed whether you know it or not.
He uses the scripture to outline six basic stages on a journey away from God into a very different type of spiritual formation. One that is prevalent in the time that we live in.

So what are these steps?
Turn away and want to be God: How many times are we told to take control of our own destiny. We can do anything if we put our mind to it. Refusing to acknowledge God.

The Mind Darkens: We develop a contra reality: By not acknowledging God we move into a darkening form. We deny the truth and the universal principles of God.

Idolatry: We must fill the vacuum with something else in the centre. It may be ourselves or many of the  myriad of spiritual offerings on hand. There are so many people looking for spiritual awakening where they retain control of there own destiny or are trying to find out what might happen to them or for them.

God leaves us alone to our own devices: This is sometimes called wrath. God basically just allows us to pursue whatever it is that we are pursuing.................... unless we turn back towards his direction.

We seek pleasure at all costs: Sometimes for the sake of pleasure sometimes as answer to the pain and suffering we feel. The pleasure becomes an answer although it does not work long term and becomes more depraved and less and less effective.

Sin Reigns: The sin in our lives and continues to separate us from God.

I can so identify with this process because we are being spiritually formed in this process as much as any other. This is indeed can be the DARK SIDE of the FORCE! This was my story too! I was moving further and further from God. But as Darth Vader found out in the end of Episode Three, no one is beyond redemption. If we make the slightest move towards God the Father he moves towards us.This was my story, as I made small steps toward God he was moving towards me. So Spiritual formation is never static we can move mainly in one particular direction but there is an ebb and flow.

Even as I travel toward God today there are ebbs and flows as I move in the spiritual realm. They may not be huge but they are there .

.........And I don't believe God would have it any other way, after all he gave us free will.