November 23, 2015

“Do not conform 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.” Romans 12:2

“Our self-image is formed early on, based on feedback from parents, teachers and other authority figures—and changing it isn’t easy. It doesn’t come from inspiration (or perspiration), but from letting the Holy Spirit transform you. How? ‘By…renewing…your mind.’ Recalling when his boys were young, one preacher says they were playing with a toy lorry, complete with the sounds of grinding gears and roaring engines.

‘I didn’t pay much attention as I unwound from the day’s stresses. Distractedly, I glanced down and noticed the boys were now running an airplane down an imaginary runway. ‘What happened to the lorry?’ I asked. ‘Daddy, this is a transformer. It can be transformed into whatever we want!’ they explained.

God made the first transformer. He created man in such a way that He could pull a woman out of him. From one creative act God transformed the man into a marriage, the marriage into a family, and the family into a society. He never reached back into the ground again because the power to transform was intrinsically placed in man. All kinds of potential are locked into your spirit. And for the Christian, transformation at its optimum is the outworking of the internal. God placed certain things in you that must come out…and when you’re tired of trying to unlock your own resources, allow Him to release in you the power to become whatever you need to be.’‘ (LCC Daily Devotions, Let God Transform You – October 20, 2015)

“G*d placed certain things inside you that must come out.” We are protective of the gifts G*d has blessed us with. So often there a are people in the church who possess a certain gift, but something prevents them from sharing that gift. Sometimes they are prevented by their own fear of failure. Sometimes they are prevented by other’s fear of their success. And sometimes they are prevented because they do not believe their gifts will be welcomed. Every person has been blessed with their own unique gifts – gifts for ministry, gifts for leadership, gifts for organization, and gifts for just being present. And the gifts do not stop there – yet we hold these gifts inside to either protect them, or to protect ourselves. However, if we are willing to release the gifts to G*d, and put away the need to control our and other’s giftedness, we will find that the gifts of G*d are truly wanted and needed.

Pastor Dave