Transform: 1) To change in composition or structure. 2) to change the outward form or appearance of. 3) To change in character or condition. Convert.Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
2 Corinthians 3:18 " But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
One of my son's favorite movies? Transformers! He loves watching these simple things go from small to mighty in about thirty seconds flat. Just something that you wouldn't think could do much, turns into something that holds power and might. Now, you have those that are good and those that are bad. You must watch out for those that are bad. They are not out to bring a smile to your face, but just remove it. I too enjoy watching these movies. We see good and evil going against each other. Amazingly good and evil cannot run together. You must be one or the other.
We seem to fight for the underdog, cheering him on. We want him to succeed. We want to see him win the battle. Just as in these movies we too want the evil destroyed and good to prevail. Isn't it the same for us in life, real life? We cheer on those who are in the battle of their life. We want good to outweigh the bad. We want to see change. Our country even voted for change. And change is definitely what we got. Maybe not the change we had in mind. But none the less, change occurred. Through this change many have come to know the Lord. With Change, questions always come. We ask, "Why?" The One to seek to answer that is the Lord.
Change comes daily. In our own daily battles we struggle with good and bad. We struggle with overcoming our feelings of doubt and fear. We battle those moments when temptation is no longer temptation, but sin beginning. Each day is a choice. Each moment we make choices that will determine tomorrow.
God wants us to transform. He wants to see change. How does that happen? If everything is going just perfect do we seek change? No, we do not. When trials come, that my friend is when we seek change. We want things to be different. I know when trials come my way I want them to move quickly. But, God on the other hand has a total plan through that mountain of unknown territory. He wants to see change in me. He wants me to be transformed. Many times it is not that circumstance God is concerned with, but me in that circumstance.
We can transform into anything. We can be a part of this world and seek to be like it, transforming ourselves to meet the standards of those around us. There are television shows and books on transforming your life. We must be careful in what we are basing our transforming on. Like a high school teen, we want to be part of the crowd. We want to fit in, and that is a scary thing. In that fact we turn out to be followers of the pack instead of leaders of the world.
God wants us to look to Him for our transforming. When we come to Him, it is at that point change begins. When we accept Him as our Savior a change begins to form and little by little, the more we seek Him, the more we look like Him. I often tell others when they are making a difference in this world, "Jesus looks good on you." When a good change is occurring we can see God at work. We allow that old self to leave and we allow the new to form, changing us to look like our Savior.
But, He doesn't just want change on the outside. Anyone can do that. He wants the change to begin on the inside. In the heart of man. If change is not in the heart, is there really change at all? Can we walk with Christ if there is no change? I don't think so. The more time we spend with Him, the more we realize what we need to let go of. In letting go of the old, the new comes.
I know in my life right now, I am not the same person I was when I first came to Christ. Praise the Lord, I am a work in progress. I could be wearing a sign, "Change taking place." God is forever working in our hearts.
We are always so fearful when change comes, but change is good when we can direct ourselves to the Lord through it. There are times we see change coming and we want to run. He doesn't want us to run. He wants us to face change head on, knowing He has a plan and purpose for us.
When we renew our mind, our body will follow. When our body follows others will notice. They notice our speech. They notice our actions. They see how we react to change, to others and to those valleys in our life. This world should be able to look at us and see transformed people. We should look different. Act different. Live different. People should be able to say, "Yes, that is a Christian family that lives on the corner."
God is in the business of transforming lives. He did so with Paul. He did so with His disciples. Everyone who came in contact with Christ were changed in one way or another. We cannot come in contact with Christ and leave unchanged.
So, are you a transformer? Can others see change occurring in you? When others see you do they know Christ is alive and well in your life? I pray I am that vessel for the Lord. I pray I do not put off change, but grasp it with joy, knowing the Lord is about to do something powerful in my life.
Change is nothing to fear, but something to accept with a smile. Whatever God has in our life it is there for a purpose. He can use our lives to reach others in a mighty way. I always tell my kids, "People are always watching you." It is true. Someone is always watching us. Just by our actions we can bring others closer to Christ or farther away.
So, what transformer are you? I know there are days I could go either way. There are times I am not standing tall for Christ, but standing for my own gain. I am not here to gain for self, but to gain for Christ. Our lives can make a difference. The question is, "What kind of difference is our life making today?"
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Philippians 3:7-11 "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."
Ephesians 4:22-24 "That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."
