Day 31
Adapted from Romans 12. Lord, my desire is to present myself as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to You… not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of my mind, to demonstrate that Your will in my life is good, acceptable and perfect. Help me not to think too highly of myself, but to have sound judgment according to the allotment of faith given to me by You. Help me to practice love without hypocrisy, to abhor evil and cling to what is good. Help me to be devoted to You and to my Christian brothers and sisters, diligent, fervent in spirit, as I serve You with joy. Help me to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, being of the same mind and not wise in my own estimation. I pray that I may be at peace with all men, never taking revenge, never overcome by evil, but always overcome with good, in the holy name of Jesus. Amen
Throughout this Lenten season, we have focused on the fact that all human beings are created in God’s image. “So God created humankind in God’s image, in the image of God He created them; male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1.27) Each day I have tried to delve a little deeper into what this means. It is helpful to remember that an image is not the original. We are not all little gods, even if we act as if we are. So we need to embrace this with tender humility. However, with the image of God in us from the moment of creation, the potential for good is our destiny. If we can embrace the fact that God declared, “everything that God had made was very good,” (Gen. 1.31) we can begin to be transformed. Thus creation in God’s image is only the beginning—being transformed to reflect that image requires prayer and action. Paul describes our problem well when he says, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Cor. 13.12) Let’s look at the three times in the New Testament where the word “transform” is used.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12.2)
And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3.18)
He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. (Philippians 3.21)
When people share an understanding Scripture with each other, they show how transformation works personally. Letting the Word of God unfold through people’s shared experiences, expands our ability to see God’s goodness. Recently a participant in our study described how she is “allowing spirituality through its many manifestations to change [her] and [her] life choices.” If the image of God is deep in the soul of every person, can we see each person from a new perspective that honors that image and broadens our perspective?