Reforming

There are days when we look back and think, "Man, I'm so glad I'm not who I used to be."

We see pictures or reminisce on wild and crazy times and feel like we were completely different people back then.

At least we'll have some good stories to share when we're old and gray.

But seriously, it never ceases to amaze me that we've gotten this far.

But you know we ain't done yet.

God's love and redemption continue to reform us into the best versions of ourselves.

I saw this definition of reform today, and it absolutely captures how God is re-forming us.

"To amend or improve by change of form or removal of faults or abuses."

Yep, that's God's redemption, alright.

We are on God's continuous improvement plan, and if we allow Him to, He helps us become better and better every day.

As we morph, change, and shed all the junk, we build upon every lesson learned and become wiser yet humbled by the realization that it isn't about us anyway.

My friend and I met a pastor years ago who said his goal was to reflect God's love so brightly that no one would even remember his name when he left. To him, God was the one who deserved the glory and attention.

And I swear, my friend and I could not remember his name for weeks. Seriously. It was crazy.

That stuck with me.

Maybe the goal of our reforming isn't to become an improved version of ourselves but to become reflections of who God is.

In the end, it's not about us.

Whoa. That's deep, even for me.

How can we behave so that when we leave, people only remember God?

Can we truly live in a way that reforms our life's purpose to give God glory and have people look at us and say, "Look at what God did?!"

Deep thoughts, my friends, deep thoughts.

Ephesians 4: 22-24

Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

2 Corinthians 3:18

And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

1 Timothy 6:11

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.