Are You Being Transformed?
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:2
A pastor was giving a sermon one Sunday when he noticed a man sitting in the back he'd never seen before. The visitor looked disheveled, with a long scraggly beard and dirty clothes. And at the end of the service when the pastor gave the invitation, he was one of the first people to come forward.
With tears in his eyes, he knelt for several minutes. After the service, the pastor walked up and introduced himself.
The scraggly man told the pastor his story. He was an oil worker, who would spend a year at a time working out in the field, making $80,000. Then he would come back and spend it all in a month. After that, he'd go back out in the field, make another $80,000 for a year of work, and blow it all again. After realizing that this kind of life wasn't fulfilling, he knew he needed more in life – he knew he needed Jesus.
The next Sunday, the man came back to church, but the pastor didn't recognize him. He was dressed in a three-piece suit and had no beard! The pastor asked what caused him to shave and dress up, and he said, "Jesus changed me on the inside, and I want people to know it. So I changed the outside."
When Christ comes into your life, everything changes. And when everything changes, others take notice. Allow Jesus to transform you on the inside – and others will see that transformation on the outside!
Prayer Challenge:
Ask God if there is any area of your life where you're keeping Him from transforming you.
Questions for Thought:
Why do you think many people resist letting God into certain areas of their lives?
What are some areas of your life today you may be holding onto that God wants to transform?
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