Clay in the Hands

This morning I am thinking about living the transformed life.  When you stop and think about it, that is really what following Jesus is all about – striving to be more like him.

We have developed some concrete steps or tools to help us in our effort to become more like Jesus – scripture reading, prayer, worship, service, just to name a few.  These are all essential.  But lest we think this transformed life is something we attain, remember this:  God calls us to be faithful in what we know to do, but at the end of the day, the growth, the transformed life, comes from God – not our efforts.

I read a quote this morning that said, “We know that living a transformed life means living at God’s direction with grace-given capacity.  This is more than we can do on our own, and, in fact, living the transformed life does not mean trying harder.  It means trusting more and staying close to the only One who can make us more than we are.  As we learn to put our trust and faith in God, we become open and available to receive God’s forming and transforming power in our own lives.”  (Rueben P. Job)

Wow!  Do you find this a little liberating?  The drive that is within each of us tells us that if we want to see progress in whatever we are attempting, we have to try harder and push farther.  But we are reminded today that while our effort is an essential component to our spiritual transformation, it is not the essential element.  Trust in God.  Make yourself available to what God wants to do in and through you today and then watch God work a miracle.

Thanks for reading!