Transformation of conduct and heart are both legitimate aims of application.

It’s easy to talk about renewal and change, but profound shifts in the condition of your soul don’t happen easily. They are always mysterious and happen in spite of your efforts. The dark night diminishes those efforts and in that way prepares you for the kind of change that is of the essence. This is why religious initiations are so strong

But how do we gain the motivation, the insights, the perspective necessary to change? Anyone who has struggled with bad habits knows that you don’t become transformed by just willing the old habits to go away. This is why preaching that centers too much on exhortation without instruction is ineffective. According to Paul, the key to change is the