The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People by John Ortberg
review by Worth Lancaster

What is an authentic spiritual life? What is your definition of transformation in salvation? What do you consider living a full Christian life? What are you doing to stay out of Hell … or at least what you think will keep you out?

According to John Ortberg’s The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People, a fully-lived Christian life encompasses more than the forgiveness of our sins or our most feverish efforts to stay out of Hell. Ortberg provides contemporary perspectives on ten ancient spiritual disciplines, but his book is more than a rulebook for Christian living. It is a guide to daily authentic transformation even in the midst of our failures. Christianity is not about performance style or excessive concern with outer form. It is about internalizing Christ’s essence ever more deeply into our hearts, our minds, and our souls.

As imperfect human beings, we disappoint others and ourselves daily because of our imperfections. Yet, we are called to serve a perfect God. Indeed, we feel we live in the space between disappointment (imperfect) and hope (perfect), falling short of the lives that God has appointed us to live. However, the human condition is not just the story of universal disappointment; it is about inextinguishable hope. It is about a God (perfect) who does not compartmentalize (imperfect) and focus solely on the so-called “spiritual,” but who wants to transform our very existence. It is the understanding that God meets us in not only holy places (perfect) but also wherever we are (imperfect). Each moment of our lives holds the possibility of our living as the embodiment of Christ.

In ancient times, personal change accompanied salvation. The expectation in our modern salvation does not include on-going transformation. As Ortberg states, “we do not expect people to experience on-going transformation in salvation, therefore we are not led to question whether the prescriptions for spiritual growth being given in the church are truly adequate to lead people into a transformed way of life” (p. 30). He heralds a return to the vital force of Christianity: God’s power to transform and cultivate growth in each of us, through us to give to transform those around us and yet to come.

As with any endeavor requiring stamina, transformation does not come quickly or as the result of sporadic grand efforts. It is a slow, steady process and requires consistent training. For this reason, Ortberg offers exercises to nourish and to strengthen our endurance as we continue on our journey.

We can live a profound and more spiritual life on the ground where we stand.

– Worth Lancaster