“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” -2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)
I’m sitting in my office today watching the last of the rain pass and admiring the beautiful bursts of color in the trees that seems to have manifested overnight. The cloudy weather has only amplified the colors and made them more exquisite. Yellows, hints of orange and burgundy, deep maroons, and brilliant reds. Make no mistake, there is still a lot of green out there. The transformation has started earlier for some than others, but they’ll all get there eventually.
What season of change do you find yourself in today? Is it a good one? Are you waking up with a bounce in your step and refreshed energy because things seem to be going your way? Maybe you acheived a big goal, paid off some debt, closed that large deal, found some news friends, got some great news from a doctor, or seem to be excelling in work and ministry? Or have you been caught off guard and find yourself defeated, exhausted, and frazzled? Financial woes, a job loss, family dissension, marital strife, a sudden illness or health setback, spiritual exhaustion/fatigue, moving and loss of friendships can have a significant impact on our outlook.
Here’s the good news. Everyone goes through change – no one is immune. It may be easy to look around at everyone’s “perfect life” and wonder why you’ve been dealt all the bad cards. But you know as well as I do, that is all a lie. The book of Ecclesiastes talks about this alot. The author, Solomon, came to the conclusion that there is nothing new under the sun and that everyone is impacted both positively and negatively. This isn’t very comforting when are are in the valley. It’s also not very comforting when you are on the mountain top either. Kate and I have had to deal with thoughts of fear during the times when things are just going our way. Afraid that we are one phone call or email away from something going awefully wrong. We kept wondering, “how long is this season going to last before the bottom drops out”?
We need to be reminded and take comfort in knowing that our point of reference and “hope” is not in what we see around us. Our achor is Christ. He will use these season changes, if we allow Him, to mold, shape, and transform us into His glorious image. What does that mean? We will begin to reflect the attributes of God more in our life, despite what is going on. Instead of FEAR, we will be prone to PEACE and rest. Instead of WORRY, we will TRUST His goodness and timing. Instead of ANGER, we will sense JOY welling up within us – even when there is not natural reason why it should be there. Instead of JEALOUSY, we will find ourselves CONTENT with all things.
God’s image is much more glorious than anything we could ever possibly create on our own. Yielding to his Spirit’s power will not only empower us to walk through whatever season of change we find ourselves in, but will also radiate beautiful colors to those around around us. I sometimes think about God in heaven looking down on His children. I wonder… might he possibly see all of us, in our various stages of change and transformation, like the autumn leaves that we see in the midst of fall? A glorious and beautiful bouquet of all shapes, colors, and sizes. He’s smiling at you, and he wants to radiate through you. All you have to do is let Him.
-SD
Creating Exceptional 