A few months ago, My husband and I attended a conference. We had driven several hours to get there and would spend a few nights in a hotel for the meetings. We arrived hours before the first session, which was unusually early for us. When we got into our hotel room, I eagerly flopped onto the bed, looking forward to a few episodes of the History or Discovery channel–programs my children would never tolerate. A show about the latest archeology discovery started, and before I knew it, I was out like a light. I slept hard. My husband woke me up just in time for the meeting, urging me to freshen up. As I looked in the mirror, I was greeted by a deep crease stretching from my eye to my chin–clearly the result of a mid-day nap. I tried to rub it away, but my face had firmly settled into the shape of the pillow. 

We are all being formed by something. Going into that first meeting, it was painfully obvious that my face had been shaped by the hotel pillow. In the same way, we are all being spiritually formed–whether intentionally or not. The real question is whether we are choosing to engage in spiritual formation that shapes us to be more like Christ or something else entirely. 

If we want a healthy body, we put in the work. We exercise, change our eating habits, drink more water, and maybe cut out certain items. Yet, when it comes to becoming more Christlike, we often assume it will just happen. We lack the vision and motivation to put in the effort needed to become like Jesus–spending time in His presence and learning from Him. Instead, we are shaped by social media, streaming platforms, careers, relationships, culture, anything but Christ. 

This might sound harsh, but it’s something I’ve reflected on personally: where I spend my time, my money, and where I find my worth–If we want to be spiritually formed to be like Jesus, we must be willing to put in the work and make changes. The default is to say we’re too busy–and that’s often true. We are too busy to add another task to our day, so the real question is: What needs to be taken out? 

If only we could realize the joy and deep love that come from spending time with Jesus and learning His way, all other pursuits would pale in comparison. Will we coast and end up with the spiritual formation equivalent of a “pillow face,” or will we work to have a soul transformed to mirror Christ’s? 

The Simple Life

• How do you imagine life could be different if your soul and daily life were transformed to mirror Christ?
• What might you need to remove from your day to spend more time with Jesus? 

Supporting Scripture

“Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am.”

John 12:26

This article was originally titled “Pillow-Face” in the March 2025 issue of The War Cry.