– Scripture:

Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

                             2 Corinthians 3:16–18 MSG

– Reflection:

                What Does Your Transformation Look Like?

There is a pattern in the lives of people who follow Jesus Christ: sin, confession, repentance, and change. This pattern ensures that lives are transformed over time, with sins lessening in severity through the cycles of the pattern. It is an upward spiral of increasingly coming into the character of Jesus. This pattern ensures that no one gets stuck in sin, or in a downward spiral of sin. There are times when people get caught in the struggles of life, but eventually find their way back to their path with Jesus. These are great stories, not only of pastors, deacons, and pillars of the Church but also of everyday men and women. Transformation can happen to anyone. It’s important not to limit ourselves to those who can help us, but also to be able to help others. Healing and helping others contribute to our transformation.

Where do we go from here?

Anytime you are going through a tough time, turning to God and the Holy Spirit and devoting your life to Jesus will lead you toward positive change. If we cling to our current ways, we will remain stuck and unable to receive His blessings. The signs may not be clear at first, perhaps not for years, but eventually, we won’t be able to ignore it any longer. This realization may come when we are overwhelmed by anger, anxiety, depression, hopelessness, loneliness, isolation, boredom, or rebellion. At that point, when we seek His guidance and help, He will come to our aid. Even the thief who was crucified next to Jesus found redemption just minutes before his death.

Can we accelerate the pace of change? Can we increase the speed of our progress? I believe we can. Although most of the work is done by the Spirit, with the help of God’s grace, we can enhance our transformations by being more obedient. This can, in turn, speed up the growth of our faith communities.

Our Prayer for Today

“Father, thank you for your help and for entrusting me with the responsibility to help others in need. During our own times of need, we can also be a source of assistance for someone else. You are the creator of all things and will always be the head of our world. With the grace you have provided us this morning, we can all say, ‘Amen’ happily.”