Transformation, the Ultimate Extreme Make Over

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

We hear a lot about transformation when we’re Christians. But what does that mean? What does that look like, exactly to be transformed into his likeness? What would I tell someone if they asked me?

Let’s go to Webster’s to define transformation. To change in character or condition: convert. Transformation is about character and character is about one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual. I had lots of ideas about my character. I knew I was creative, but blocked, published, but rejected, loving but conditional, savvy but impatient with others, spiritual, but lost. Most of my identity was boxed up somewhere or on a book shelf. Some of it was tied up in the opinions of others.

Transformation was all new to me, and I wasn’t without skepticism because I’d tried to change many times, but certain things seemed status quo. When I accepted the Lord I didn’t feel changed immediately. I looked the same: middle aged and ten pounds overweight. But over a short period of time I began to feel my heart really yearn to know the Lord, and sought out Biblical wisdom. Then one day, like a conk on the head, I felt my heart soften toward others and old hurts, which is interesting because I wasn’t aware it had become so hard!

When we believe and petition (pray) to Christ, we’ll change.

Jesus makes us this promise in Matthew 7:8 “For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Sometimes transformation can be immediate, for some barely perceptible, and it can be frustrating. But if we keep on keeping on with prayers to Christ, always keeping him in our hearts, every single day, we’ll change. Joining ranks with Jesus means movement. It’s not a sedentary path. Jesus Christ is an active Lord. We read in the New Testament just how tireless. He knew who he was, what needed to be done. He moved from town to town, ministering to thousands, healing, converting and changing the hardest of hearts! Seldom did he have time alone, or to stand still for that matter. He was busy then, and he’s busy now, changing, healing and converting lives, working behind the scenes, transforming those who ask.

Transformation is putting on a new pair of glasses, or taking an old pair off. Through the mystery of divine intervention, we begin to see things differently, and feel things differently. Oh sure, we’re going to have a bad day once and awhile like anyone else, but that’s life. What I’m writing about is those deep down hurts we cling to for dear life, for if we let them go—who are we? We don’t want to lose our individuality, even if its tainted. Change is scary and Jesus understands.

I was largely identified with the hurts of my childhood. Clinical therapy gave me tools to deal with them, and used those tools. But deep down, in that secret place we all guard, the heart center, I’d locked up those injuries for safe-keeping. Sometimes I would visit them, rearrange them, dust them, and keep them in shinning order. One day I turned around in that dark, dank little space and ran smack dab into Jesus. I was very startled to see him there, and tried to hurry and lock the key, lest he set everything I’d collected free. I was coveting my hurts right before our forgiving Lord!

So loving is he, that he was patient, and didn’t give me the lightening rod and zap it all away, rather he let me do the clearing out, but he seemed firm about a timeline. I had to be committed. Slowly, daily, I made progress, not only emotionally but physically, as I also began to let go of stored items that gathered dust. Books, out they went. Old memories, out they went. I realized that the stuff I’d collected (all neatly hermetically sealed in plastic boxes) was similar to the hurts I’d saved in my heart—it was my identity. I’m this person who collects research books, who writes romance, who fell from Grace, who (fill in the blanks) and I’m too old, too whatever to change.

Didn’t Jesus say in John 3:7, “Don't be surprised when I tell you, 'You must all be born again.” He’s serious. We must be entirely different from what we were before. All is new, and it’s a glorious life. It’s not found by any wisdom or power of our own, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. When the spirit is in us, we change, for the spirit is soft and warm and loving and when it resides in our hearts we respond. Emotional burdens, jealousies, insecurities, childhood traumas, all fall away.

My heart found room for forgiveness and empathy, for creativity, for possibility and for love. Transformation is so much more than an E ticket to heaven. It’s about right now; right here, in this moment, and at peace.