Created To Become Like Christ

I used to work with someone whose primary goal in life was to marry someone who was wealthy. She fervently pursued this dream. She worked to present herself as someone who also had money. She bought expensive clothes and had them tailored to fit her perfectly. She was definitely “high-maintenance” regarding her hair, nails and make-up. She volunteered at community events where she would come into contact with men with money. She took college courses so she might find a suitable husband. She acquired well-off girlfriends who “discipled” her in the social graces of the upper class and introduced her to other well-off people. She even went so far as to live in a part of town that she really couldn’t afford so that she could increase her odds of casually meeting men with money at the grocery store, the gym, or even while filling up at the gas station. She was wholly devoted to this obsession.

I wish I had her passion in my pursuit of following Christ. It’s easy for me to know that my eternity is secure, but working through my salvation on a daily basis is a different matter. I still have fears and doubts in this troubled world. My mission, my purpose, is not always clear. God wants to conform me to the image of his Son, but I really don’t want to leave behind some of my sinful attitudes. I don’t want to go through all the work involved to be transformed. I also don’t have the discipline of my former coworker to plan out the details of my life to ultimately bring glory to God. When I look at the lives of more mature Christians from whom I can be discipled or mentored, I am in awe, yet I still do not continue to take the steps necessary to follow Christ diligently. Fortunately for you and me, the Holy Spirit is always interceding on our behalf, and God continues pursuing and loving his children.

As Paul tells us in Romans 8:28-29, we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him. God has called us into his family, and he is the one who is in the business of making us worthy of being a sibling, so-to-speak, of Christ. In sorrow or joy, in apathy or zeal, through trouble or blessing, failure or success, confusion or clarity, God draws us to himself. Through our experiences with him and our relationship with him, our lives are transformed. Even if you find yourself in a spot like me, sort of stalled, hang on. The Bible is filled with stories of how God intervenes in our world and in our lives. Look back and meditate on what God has done in the past for you and so many others you know. We are called to his purpose.

Are you wondering about my former colleague? We both moved on in our careers. Years later, we saw each other at a summer barbecue. Was she now married to a man with lots of money??? No. She ended up marrying some regular guy because— they fell in love. And, their love grew to become a family of four with two little boys. God blessed her above and beyond what she had ever hoped for!

This is my prayer for our church and for your life— May God surprise us with a purpose more treasured than we could ever fathom! Holy Spirit, grow us more Christ-like. May your Word inhabit our hearts, transform our thoughts and direct our actions.