I’m also thinking about the difficulty of the task of “unhooking” from the world and unlearning worldly patterns. As helpful as personal Bible study is, I don’t think that’s the primary way we move beyond conformity to the oppressive ways of the world and into the freedom and life of the Way of Jesus. Obviously, I’m not saying something new to you in suggesting community discipleship as the primary means through which the Spirit forms us into the image of Jesus, but I think we have to find our identity both as children of God (co-heirs with Jesus) and as a leg or eye or hand in the body of Christ at the same time. Perhaps, even, I would invert the model of personal relationships with God forming a communal synergy (where you would see corporate gatherings as more meaningful because every individual believer brings their fire into the mix), in favor of the body taking action to bring individual members back to health (like the analogy of stubbing a toe and the whole body stopping and trying to ease the pain by focusing on doing whatever it can for the toe). There’s obviously a lot more to be said about the dynamics about all of that (including the point you reach when the body is nursing so many injuries that it loses its ability to function actively), but I think that people struggling to find their identities in Jesus often do so according to worldly patterns (even if, in many cases, those patterns are church-approved) – which is why it’s hard to make the changes stick.

I don’t mean to oversimplify the situation or minimize the problem of confused identities. But given the complexity of the situation and the fact that there are a ton of “bruised reeds” for every “tree that’s planted by the waters”, I’m hopeful that the church can gently lead those of us babes in Christ to maturity. It’s critical that this happens, and through nurture and grace.