Monthly Archives: April 2009

the transformation cycle, part 6

Posted by chriswilliamsde on

Your Transformation Team
As you engage on this lifelong journey of transformation, remember that you were never intended to go it alone.  God has given you a team to help you in your transformation efforts.  

The Holy Spirit.  At the center of the transformation cycle is the Holy Spirit.  He gives guidance and direction to the process.  And he is ultimately the one who causes transformative change in our lives.

Friends.  There are people who are on the journey with you that you count as your friends.  This is a huge asset in the transformation cycle, but one that is sometimes overlooked or underutilized.  Friends can help you process spiritual issues, provide needed accountability, offer encouragement, and engage in prayer with and for you.  Leverage your friendships to reach a new level of spiritual growth.     

Mentors.  Some individuals are further along in the journey than you are.  Among them may be several potential mentors that could give your growth an added boost.  These people could coach you in developing a stronger prayer life or engaging the Scriptures for life change.  They might help you develop specific aspects of your character.  Or they might just be there to listen, offer advice, and challenge you to grow.  Seek out the investment of a mentor; they will help you grow.

Pastors.  Pastors are by no means the ones who have everything about God figured out.  However, they have answered God’s call to give their lives to helping people connect with God and grow in their spiritual journeys.  As a result, if you go to pastor to ask for his or her help in your pursuit of life transformation, I am sure you will find a willing growth partner.  Have a spiritual growth conversation with your pastor and see what develops.

Church.  The community of faith is intended to be a group of people who are at different places in the journey helping each other take the next step of growth.  Corporate worship, discipleship classes, small groups, and serving opportunities are among some of the ways your church can help you grow and be transformed.  Get connected and experience growth through involvement.

the transformation cycle, part 5

Posted by chriswilliamsde on

Like A Slinky
It is important to note that this cycle is not a one-time development experience.  You will need to continually repeat the process.  It is a never-ending cycle.  

As we live in the world, we have to continually consecrate ourselves to God.  We have to seek out training opportunities where we are likely to encounter God’s Spirit.  We need the Holy Spirit to stimulate growth in us in an ongoing way.  And we need to keep living it out in our daily lives. 

Consecration.  Training.  Growth.  Living.

It’s like a Slinky.  If you were to set a Slinky on a flat surface and pull the top straight up you would find that the circle creates an upward spiral of growth.  You could trace your finger along the metal wire and it would be moving in a circle, but as it does you are also moving up.  The transformation cycle works the same way in our lives.  We need to keep moving around the circle from consecration to training to growth to living to consecration and so on.  The process leads to an upward spiral of growth.  As we repeat the cycle over and over again throughout the course of our lifetime, we find that from year to year we are moving up—being transformed into his likeness.

the transformation cycle, part 4

Posted by chriswilliamsde on

Living
And now we arrive at the most important part of transformation—LIVING.  Consecration, training, and growth are all great things to pursue in our lives, but they only have true value when they produce the end result we are after—a transformed life that is more like Christ.  True spirituality, a true connection with God, is played out in real life.  

When you consecrate yourself fully, train faithfully, and grow consistently the results will show up in every aspect of your life.  You will become a better partner for your spouse, a better parent for your kids, a better companion for your friends, a better worker at your job, a better member at your church, and a better member of society.  

If your connection with God does not result in this, you should re-examine the connection.  Spirituality, if it is not showing up in everyday life, is nothing more than religious activity.  Jesus did not come to create a religion; he came to create a movement of transformed followers who change the world.