Transformation vs. Conformation

The person I was before March 3rd, 2001 and the person I have become today are two completely different people. I was a selfish, self absorbed individual who’s ultimate goal was to grab everything I could for my own pleasure. I was the epitome of today’s me centered world that sought personal pleasure over self sacrifice at almost any price.

On that fateful Saturday morning, in an instant, my life was transformed from one of self absorption to a new person, one who would leave his past behind and start running to God at breakneck speeds. Have I looked back, yes. Do I have any regrets, no. Every time I consider my past life, I shutter at what could have happened had I not returned to the Father’s house. It is clear I was on a path that would have destroyed my marriage and my family.

Our Lord is not looking for people who are religious, those who attend church yet live like the world the rest of the week. He is looking for those who wish to seek Him with their whole heart. As we chase after Him, He will transform us into the likeness of His son, our brother.

I urge you to evaluate your life today. Are you a church attender or a Christ follower that lives his or her life for the king of Kings? There is an astounding difference between the two.

Blessings

Transformation vs. Conformation

TGIF Today God Is First NextGen
by Charis Hillman Brown

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” -Romans 2:12

I love the movie Alice in Wonderland. Yes, the Tim Burton version is a little on the strange side, but the story is great and the design, costumes, graphics, and set are so creative!

There is one point in the movie, and in the book, where Alice is trapped in a room filled with doors. She can’t seem to open any of them. Then, she notices a really small door on the far side of the room. “How am I ever going to fit through that door???” she must’ve thought. She becomes distraught with the idea that she could possibly be in this room forever. But she is determined not to let it happen.

Alice notices the vial that says “Drink me”, and the food that says, “Eat me.” She does both and discovers the outcomes of each. With one she becomes larger, the other smaller. And finally, with key in hand, she is able to go through the small door that was originally intended for her, the small her, as she ventures off into Wonderland.

I believe our lives can be much like Alice’s experience in the room sometimes. Alice had to transform herself to fit through the door she was supposed to go through. It makes me think of the verse in scripture that says, “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:14.

God is all about our complete and total transformation. Christianity is the only religion that is about transformation, versus conformation. We can live out a bunch of rules and say that we’re Christians, but what God is after is a heart change. When we encounter obstacles in life, sometimes it’s us that needs to change. Sometimes we are the ones who need to fit through the door – we are the ones who need to either become bigger people (full of grace and mercy for humanity), or smaller (becoming more disciplined, more focused, learning to listen to the still small voice of God). But the key to this is that we have to be willing – we have to be willing to try anything to get to the next place. Because Alice knew there was no other way but to go through that door, she was determined to make it happen, one way or another. Sometimes God puts us in these types of spots to grow us, to change us, to help us become all He intended.

Are you willing to be transformed?