Daily Meditation: Transforming Journey

May 3, 2011 |

Author jeff

Daily Meditation: Transforming Journey [03MAY2011]

During this season of Eastertide, I continue to reflect upon the resurrection, new birth, new life, and what it means to be transformed into the image of God. Several of the readings over the past couple of days have been instrumental in forming some of the insight I have gleaned from this meditation. The first phase of this transformation comes in the form and way of illumination. The “transformee” is made aware (illuminated-enlightened) to their need for transformation. The Holy Spirit of God is the great Illuminator:

Wherever the Holy Spirit is present, people of clay are changed into people of God… –St John Chrysostom

Illumination to the “need” for transformation is not enough in itself. While the one needing transformed is made aware of their need, “knowing” or becoming aware is not transformation in and of itself. Submission to the agent of transformation, GOD, and desire to become transformed follow the illumination phase.

“I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)

Illumination and desire-submission are the first steps to transformation, but finding agreement with these steps still does not guarantee transformation. Transformation begins to take place through incremental steps of obedience. Christ calls his disciples to follow him into the Light. Once enlightened to the call of transformation, the goal being imago dei (re-imaged to the nature and likeness of God), reluctance to advance in the process invites darkness and self-imposed separation from God.

—We are lying if we say we have fellowship with God, but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did (1 John 1:6, 1 John 2:3-6).

Transformation ultimately rests in the control of GOD and our continued awareness of the need for Him to lead us in the way of being transformed. Our willing obedience to live as enlightened people, following Jesus Christ as we learn to live in love, ensures that process will meet its ultimate goal…that being fully formed in the image of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house. Lead me in the right path, O LORD, make your way plain for me to follow (Psalm 5:1-2, 7-8).

So these are some of the phases or steps through the process, but the process of transformation itself entails seasons that can be very cathartic and sometimes rather complex in how they unravel and play out. Identifying the processes or phases of transformation still is not the realization of what happens in process of transformation. Consider a football game for example; almost every game has at its beginning, a warm-up time, a coin toss, a first quarter, second quarter, a half-time, third quarter, fourth quarter, and an end of game team debrief. If someone were to ask you what happened at a game you watched and your related the process of the game only, they would look at you rather oddly…they would be expecting you to relate what happened during the process. The “game” highlights, offensive plays, defensive plays, half-time show, inspirational play-by-play commentary…these are the parts that make up the process. The process provides structure for the “transformation” of the game from beginning to end where a “victor” is ultimately decided.

There is more to share about how the experiences affect and effect the transformation and movement through the phases, but I’ll need to share some of those in later posts. For now, we’ll just list out the stages and phases of transformation one more time.