TRANSFORMATION

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  II Corinthians 3:18  (NIV)

 

 

Have you ever wished you could change a certain attitude or drop an unattractive trait?  The Good News is that it’s possible.  Paul tells us how it can happen in a couple of his letters.  First, by exposing our true selves and concentrating on Jesus (II Cor. 3:18), his attributes, his character, and his love, we become more and more like him.  Then, we trust his working in us will be for good.  Remember, he has already begun a good work in us and will continue it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6), and he is working in us just now giving us the desire and the power to do what pleases him (Phil. 2:13 NLT).

Finally, if we really want to grow and to change, we must listen to the Holy Spirit who speaks to each one of us.  It is his job to convict us regarding sin and righteousness (John 16:8).  Essentially, prior to our pursuing an attitude displeasing to God or speaking unkind words or acting in a manner unbecoming his child, the Holy Spirit quietly warns us.  In this millisecond we have a choice:  Do we follow our selfish instincts or do we respond to God?

God always does his part in changing us from glory to glory, but we have to do ours.  God has given us free will to follow him or to indulge our flesh.  The instant his Spirit softly alerts us, we can respond in obedience and find ourselves more like our Lord or we can reject him and become more entrenched in the behaviors and attitudes that even we despise.

So we return to that life regimen we call discipline. To cooperate with God’s work in transforming us, we listen when his Spirit speaks, and we discipline ourselves to do his will.  In that instant of decision, he empowers us, and as we continue this right behavior, it becomes a habit.  At last, with practice, we are no longer enslaved by that sinful attitude or behavior.  It’s really quite simple.

God’s part:  conviction and empowerment; our part: disciplined obedience.  Result:  transformation.

 

 

Father, how long have we tried to change ourselves when we know that only you can make us like Jesus?  Give us ears to hear your Spirit and determination to do your will.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.

GOD’S VOICE

 

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”  Isaiah 30:21  (NIV)

 

Yesterday was Scott’s turn to teach our adult Sunday school class.  The topic from the Believe series was Peaceful.  The lesson was structured around three points:  peace with God, peace with others, and peace within ourselves.  As he addressed the foundational issue, peace with God, Scott gave us a list that contrasted God’s voice and the voice of our arch-enemy, Satan.

 

God’s Voice	Satan’s Voice
Still	Rushing
Leading	Pushing/restraining
Reassuring	Frightening
Enlightening	Confusing
Encouraging	Discouraging
Comforting	Worrying/distressing
Calming	Obsessing
Convicting	Condemning

 

We all have voices in our heads—sometimes they’re our own thoughts, and sometimes God is speaking to us.  But often Satan injects thoughts that are destructive, negative, or in some way detrimental to our spiritual life.  They rob us of our peace and produce distress in its stead.

 

My mom had an interesting method for identifying the voices in her head.  She said, “Always listen to the pronouns.  You can detect the source if the voice says, ‘He or him.’  God always say, ‘I.’” 

 

Jesus told us that we will know his voice if we’re his sheep.  I speak with my two grown children almost every day.  Never do they call and identify themselves; they just begin the conversation as soon as I say hello.  I know their voices, and they know mine.  I’m convinced that frequent conversations with our Lord will make us more and more familiar with his voice, and we’ll at some time be able to recognize him the moment he speaks.

 

We have all these and many more wonderful tools for walking in peace with Jesus:  discernment of the intent of the message, listening to the pronouns, and recognizing the voice.  There’s no need for us to ever be in confusion.

 

Father, thank you for all the wonderful teachers you’ve given us to grow us in our relationship with you.  Keep us in your peace as we listen to you and follow you.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN.