Icebergs and Spiritual Growth

When it comes to how we approach our spiritual lives, many of us only look at the tip of the iceberg. We only focus on what appears on the surface.

• I go to church.
• I pray before meals.
• I hold the door for strangers.
• I pay my taxes.

Since I do all (or most) of these things, I must be a pretty good person. In fact, compared to that guy over there, I’m a really great person.

I can live that way and never worry about what lies below the surface. Based on my experience, it’s not the exposed parts of the iceberg that do the most damage. By focusing on externals, I can convince myself that I’m doing alright … and avoid having to deal with what is in my heart.

That way of living eventually catches up to you.

Jesus put it this way: “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come — sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23)

The greatest threat to your spiritual wellbeing is not what is happening around you but what is happening inside of you.

Many of our attempts at self-transformation are simply cosmetic adjustments made at surface level which somehow also help and that’s why using different body shaping options for this, could really help. I’m going to …

• Smile more
• Listen better
• Be more patient
• Send flowers

These are good decisions and won’t cost you too much time or money (with the exception of the flowers). I’d recommend each one of them.

But my real problem isn’t a surface level problem. It’s a heart problem. It’s the bottom two-thirds of the iceberg, the part that lurks beneath the surface and influences my thoughts and actions.

What I really need is a transformation of the heart.

No amount of will power or hard work can transform your heart. Only the work of Jesus on the cross can do that.