Good morning! This morning I am being reminded of something one of my supervisors said to me during a performance review many years ago. He said that I was an “island of reason in a sea of insanity.” I walked away from that meeting so encouraged. As I continued to think about that statement, I thanked God for the TRANSFORMATION that has taken place in my life.
I think about the opportunity we have as children of God to set the atmosphere for the people around us. As we model our lives after Jesus and are TRANSFORMED by the Holy Spirit, we will display the attributes of God for the people around us.
The world is a crazy place – can I get an AMEN?! There are so many things that we deal with on a daily basis that can throw us off balance and distract us from living to love God and love people. Many times we are so focused on trying to keep our heads above water that we don’t have time to do anything else.
As I was growing up, my parents would take our family to Lancaster, PA every year right after Christmas. Being a huge family (2 parents, 7 boys, and 1 girl), we would do everything we could for FREE! We went to Kitchen Kettle where we would get our free sample of fudge and taste test EVERY jam and jelly. We would go to the outlet stores to spend any money we received as a Christmas present and spend a lot of time at the hotel pool.
One of our favorite memories – one still carried on today with my son – is going to Hershey’s Chocolate World to ride the chocolate tour ride and get our free piece of chocolate at the end! For the tour, you would sit in a car as it took you through the ‘factory’ and tell you how the chocolate was made.
In order to get into the car, we would go down a set of stairs to a spinning platform that would continue rotating with the cars because the ride technically did not stop. Everyone at some time during their lives has had to have been on one of those platforms where the people who work there are constantly walking to ‘stay in one place.’
I was thinking about how this platform is simliar to our lives. Sometimes we are like the workers who exert energy as they walk, only to stay in the same place. We try hard to ‘get ahead,’ but end up spending a lot of time and effort to go absolutely nowhere. Other times we are like the platform that spins around the same set of stairs over and over when we get stuck in the busyness and routine of life.
How good does it feel when you find that firm footing underneath you as you step off the moving platform onto the steady and stable set of stairs to exit the ride. At that moment you plant your feet to regain your balance and look to higher sights – the top of the stairs LOL!
“The only constant in life is change.”
Heraclitus – Greek Philosopher
There is so much truth to that statement – but it is WRONG! Because as the world around us is constantly changing, our God is not. He is constant and promises to be the One we can always call on, reach for, and hold onto in the midst of the chaos around us!
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8
Take a moment to think about how many things in your life has changed. Your relationships, your job, the way we interact on a daily basis – sometimes everything changes so quickly it is hard to keep up with. But God continues to remain faithful, a source of peace in the mayhem around us.
When we are committed to spending time with Jesus, He begins to reshape our thinking and refocus our purpose! We begin to allow Him to influence the way we respond to the trouble around us. Instead of letting it throw us off balance, we begin to influence the people around us as they see the way we have a peace from God that passes all understanding!
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:7
As the peace of God reigns in our lives, the people around us will notice. When they see our authenticity as we walk through this life in a way that honors God, people will do more than notice. They will be impacted by the way that we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice for Him!
Spend time with Jesus today – allow Him to be the source of everything you need. Let Him have His way completely in you so that others will be drawn to Him! Don’t allow the craziness around us change who we are, but instead be the ones who change the atmosphere around us because of who lives in us!
Heavenly Father, thank You for being the source of anything we could ever need. Whether its peace, joy, strength, hope, wisdom, or anything else – it can all be found in You and only in You! Thank You for being our constant in life while everything around us is changing by the second. Help us to be TRANSFORMED by You every day so that we are able to set the tone in every situation. In Jesus Name – AMEN!
Be Transformed 