The Gift of Transformation

I was listening to a podcast that two of our pastors, John Rosensteel and Josh Butler, recorded about the gospel of John. It is meant to be an additional resource for us as we journey through the book of John over the next few months and it’s worth a listen!

In it, Josh references the book of Joshua 10:13-14a:

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”

The commander of the army of the Lord was basically saying I am on God’s side. What about you?

In Dayne Scanlon’s message from Sunday, he asked a similar question in the two action points he gave us:

Initially, we become on God’s side when we take the first action step, but to demonstrate our ongoing belief that we are on His side we must invite Him to transform us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Transformation is hard. Over my life, I have had plenty of hard things and in early 2020, I embarked on a new hard thing that was by far the most difficult thing I've ever had to endure. Before I even knew it was on the horizon, Jon preached a message on sacrificial love which became an anchor once the storm hit.

The revelation that came involved both my daughters and initially it brought the three of us much closer, but as the different layers peeled back there was a chasm that developed between us. It was not of my choosing, but it was what my daughters needed. That is where sacrificial love came in. I had to put down my own hurt, I had to listen without judgment and defensiveness, I had to cry buckets of tears, and I had to endure times of no contact.

In all of that though, God did an amazing transformation in me. He uprooted some things and healed them and he also revealed that I had allowed my daughters to become my idols. Once that truth was out there, everything changed. Mostly it changed something in me. I surrendered my girls to God and in exchange He gave me a peace that truly exceeded anything I could understand (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). I have reconciled fully and richly with my oldest daughter and am waiting with expectation and hope that He will do the same thing for my youngest daughter and me.

I did not enjoy this transformational work but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. What I gained is so much better and more rewarding.  

So I ask you, have you accepted the gift Jesus offers? If so, what transformational work is God inviting you to participate in?  

Blessings,

Shari Swanson
Pastor (BCC Cares, Prayer Ministry, Senior Life)