How do we find it or create it?
Is it completely God's job? Or do we have a part to play in it?
These are some of the questions that have been running through my head for a while. I seem to keep coming back to them.
In many ways they're foundational to how we live as Christians. We talk about transformation - about our need for it, about how we are or are supposed to be transformed to be more and more like Christ. But, what so we actually mean by it? And how does it happen?
I looked up the word transformation recently and was struck by part of the definition for it: "change in form, appearance, nature, or character." That seemed to be what we're talking about when we talk about transformation.
It's about our character becoming more and more Christ-like.
So, if that's what we're talking about, then what is needed for that to happen?
Because my brain works best in the world of math, as I've thought about this, it had been a math formula that has summed up my thoughts. I'll share more thoughts and explain what I mean by it, but I'll start by sharing the "formula":
Belonging + Identity = Transformation
Belonging is the safe place we need. A place where we're accepted exactly where we are and as we are. The place where we're loved and cared about. This is vital if we're going to come to a place of change.
Identity is about understanding the truth of who we are in Christ. It's about learning who we are in God's eyes. A firm, unchanging, stable identity.
It's when we have both of these - belonging and identity - that transformation can happen. And the order of them in important. It has to start with belonging. Once we feel like we belong - once we feel safe and loved as we are right now - we are able to start hearing the truth about our identity. As our understanding of our true identity in Christ grows in our safe place of belonging, we're transformed.
So, if we go back to the questions I opened this post with:
Transformation comes from having a safe place to understand and learn more fully our true identity in Christ. We need both a safe place to belong and to hear the truth of our identity in Christ to be transformed.
Transformation is God's job. We can't and don't have the responsibility to create it. Our part is to be available to God to use. He often chooses to use the people around us in this. So, our role is to be willing to be used by God and to be listening to what He is saying to us about who we are in Him.
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