The word that has been on my lips more than any word of late is ... TRANSFORMATION. I believe transformation is what the church should be about today - in 2008. I believe our transformation is what GOD is about, so transformation is what WE should be about. There are plenty of things that are NOT involved in transformation - and so we have to figure out what is and what isn't a part of transformation.
People are tired today. That is nothing new really. Stress and weariness have been part of the American dream for decades -- work, play, social lives, kids, school, sports, appointments, errands, vacations, etc. Yeah, even vacations are work these days (get the flights, plan the trip, write out the budget, search the internet for all the fun things to do - then DRAG your family from sight to sight at bullet speed. "We're GOING to have fun, I tell you!!!") Our exercise time is labor, too. They call it WORKING OUT, don't they?
But a major difference between today and 30 years ago is that NOW, even the church is a major contributor to our weariness, if not in some cases, THE major contributor.
To quote one author, "People are weary of being sent off to complete assignments, memorize facts and passages, and engage in simplistic practices that do not draw them into God's presence ... " which is where genuine transformation can be found.
Am I battering the church? Of course not. I fully believe it is the HOPE OF THE WORLD for this age. I have given my life to it and am confident it is the vessel thru which God wants to use His people. But people want GOD - not activity. They want transformation, not one more thing to do. Though so much of our activity is well-intentioned, people are searching for something real, life-producing, energizing and transforming. This is breakthrough stuff.
It's time to get in touch with God to show us what we should do and what we should not do - what we can do as well as what we cannot do. Often, good activities serve to block us from encountering God in order to be transformed.
Do you want to be transformed to be more like Christ? So do I. Why are we waiting for someone to show us how? It's right in your Bible. Open it up today. Read it. Scour it. Have faith in it. Have fun with it. Believe it. Act on it. Live it. Do it ... do it NOW. And be transformed.
Our goal: To be found in him, not having a righteousness of our own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ -- I want to know Christ. It's in Philippians 3. That's genuine transformation.
Now ... go back and count how many times I said "transformation" in this blog. It is THAT important.
And be blessed.
1 comment:
Transformation was a process I incorporated early on into my spiritual walk. I discovered transformation occurred when I would empty myself of me, and invite the Holy Spirit to fill me. The process was amazing. I would actually step back and watch as the Holy Spirit interacted in a situation. The Holy Spirit would speak, embrace, or in some way connect with someone using my voice to talk, and my arms to hug. I guess it was dying to myself, because my opinions didn’t dictate how I acted in a given situation; I actually became somewhat detached. I became possessed by the Spirit of God. Once the Holy Spirit filled me, it would overflow onto others.
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