Being Transformed

Photo by Dick Williams

I am but a mere toddler in the field of gardening, but I love seeing the flowers I plant transform from seeds and seedlings into beautiful blooms. Their delicate blossoms and wonderful fragrance put a smile on my face every time. I tend to place my plants in areas where I can see them from our family room so I can enjoy their beauty and be daily reminded to water them.

Inevitably, among my flowers, weeds sprout up. Sometimes, when the plants first emerge from the ground, my untrained eyes can’t tell the weeds from the flowers.

As Christians, we are God’s flowers in the garden of the world. God plants us where it gives Him the most pleasure. But sometimes I am slow to bloom and can be hard to distinguish from those who are not following Jesus.

Photo by Pam Williams

In Romans 12:2, Paul warns, “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind.” When we allow God to be the strongest influence in our lives, rather than the world around us, then we “will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.”

How can we open ourselves to God’s transformation? Philippians 4:8-9 shares the key: “Fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.”

Guarding our minds requires two steps. Like weeding the garden, keeping out what can negatively impact us is the first step. This varies to some degree by individual, but many of these “bad influences” are obvious. Second, like watering our plants, we need to take a proactive role in inputting what is good in God’s eyes by reading His Word, listening to Christian teaching (whether from teachers, preachers, writers, musicians, etc), and contemplating those things that are pure and lovely and honorable.

When we fill our minds with the things of God, they will take root and bring about positive change. Our thoughts, our words, and our actions will become more pleasing to God and our faith will grow and blossom. Don’t you think that puts a smile on God’s face?

Be encouraged!

Pam

 ©2016 Pamela D. Williams

Steeped in God's Word

I LOVE a cup of hot tea in the morning, steeped long, and sweetened with honey. No pale ale-colored swill for me; no mere dip of the bag into the water once or twice. I let the tea infuse the hot water for the maximum amount of time recommended for the richest flavor. I audibly sigh with contented pleasure at each sip of this delicious brew.

Steeping long in God’s Word helps me to mature as a Christian and to live so others thirst to know Him, too. Once a week, (perhaps in church), isn’t enough. Turning to His Word only when I am in a jam doesn’t meet my day-to-day need of time spent allowing Him to infuse my soul. In order to truly quench my thirst for more of Jesus and prepare me to offer others a taste of a relationship with Him, I require daily dunking in the waters of God’s Word.

I don’t want to be a flavorless Christian, undetectable among those who don’t know Jesus. I want my faith to be rich and full-bodied, appealing to others, and sweet to the Lord.

Psalms 19 and 119 expound on the innate qualities of God’s Word that can be ours by immersing ourselves in it, and allowing it to permeate our thoughts, our words, and our actions:

To refresh the soul

To impart wisdom

To give joy to the heart

To give light to the eyes

To strengthen the weary

To broaden understanding

To prevent shameful conduct

To light the path

God’s Word is true. I have tasted and I have seen that the Lord IS good. (Psalm 34:8) His Word can sweeten a bitter day better than the best honey I have ever stirred into a cup of tea. (Psalm 119:103) And I need every word God speaks in order to counteract the lies of this world. (Matthew 4:4)

Let me steep in Your word, Lord; let me steep till all of my life is flavored with Your presence.

Be encouraged!

Pam

©2016 Pamela D. Williams