cheerio, shadows, and the formation of Christ

It was a rough morning for Cheerio. Cheerio is a two year old red holstein in our herd. For some reason, this morning she noticed some vague shadows on the wall. Every movement of the shadows precipitated another round of nervousness. Had she not been tied in her stall, she would have fled the barn.

So what does all this have to do with the formation of Christ? Perhaps the key to understanding the connection has to do with the "where" of the formation of Christ. In you...until Christ is formed in you..

The transformation resulting from the formation of Christ occurs deep within us. As Christ becomes more perfectly formed within us, our response to our circumstances begins to change as well. The shadows on the wall that so frightened us no longer dictate our actions. We have a core, a center that guides us past the shadows.

...your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion... To the resurrected Christian, our enemy is powerless. His only recourse is to roar, to create shadows to frighten us.

Recently I have noticed how many people have no center. The shadows frighten and paralyze them. Circumstances overwhelm them. It seems to be impossible for them to comprehend the truth that can set them free. Satan roars and they cower in fear. In the midst of difficulty they have no reference point, no ability to discern truth.

...he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord... From where comes the doubt? Not from the deep places of the inner man transformed by the formation of Christ. They come from without, desiring to take residence in the soulish level of our emotional psyche. They are shadows on the wall driving us to irrational actions that lead to bondage.

I'm sure that later today, Cheerio will be fine. By the time the cows leave the barn for the grassy pasture this evening, she will have long forgotten the shadows. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the person without Christ formed in their inner being.