Becoming

If there’s anything I’ve learned about God, it’s that He’s unwilling to let us remain the way we are. Over the past eight years, He’s been steadily working, chipping away at my sinful self in order to reveal His Son in me. It often takes me awhile to feel grateful for God’s loving chisel. I don’t like admitting that I don’t have things under my control or that I don’t know everything I thought I did. Lately, God has been showing me ways in which I’ve fallen short. It’s humbling to admit these faults and to agree with God that they are not Christ-like ways to live.

It’s amazing how God will use even little circumstances to reveal faults like selfishness and pride. If we’re paying attention and desiring to be conformed to the image of Christ, the Spirit helps us learn lessons through these circumstances.

I love 2 Peter 1:3-8:
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Peter tells us to “make every effort to add to your faith” but he also acknowledges that it is God’s divine power that has given us everything we need and continues to give us everything we need. It is His power through His Spirit that will enable us to add things like goodness, knowledge, and self-control to our faith.

“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, you also will appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:3,4. If my life is hidden in Christ and if Christ IS my life, it only makes sense that if I keep trying to follow Him, I will slowly take on His likeness. And if our goal as Christians is to bring heaven to earth, this is the process by which we’ll succeed. The more we become like Christ, the more heaven we’re able to bring to earth as we start treating others with His loving and serving attitude.

“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.” 1 Peter 4:1,2.

As God shapes and molds our attitudes and characters into His image, we will have less and less desire to live our earthly lives for evil desires. Instead we will be consumed with living our lives for the will of God. In Romans 12:2, Paul writes, “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

This verse has helped at times when I wanted to follow the pattern of this world but knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. God instead tells us to be transformed by renewing our minds. It’s what is on our thoughts and in our hearts that guide our actions. If our minds and hearts are turned toward heaven, our actions will be Christ-like: loving, kind, gentle, compassionate. If our minds are turned toward earthly things, our actions are likely to be selfish, unkind, and harsh.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:1-2

Since I realized many years ago that God is constantly at work in His children, I have learned that it is a lot easier to work with Him than to resist Him. Consequently, I have to remind myself: What is it that He wants to teach me today? Am I focusing on things here on earth or are my eyes turned toward heaven? In what ways can I become more like Christ?