LOVE AND TRANSFORMATION

Summary: Let’s face it,  life can be hard. Relationships provide meaning and reflection; they help us organize who we are and what we do in this world. However, relationships can be complex. Relationships take work. It is easy to forget how much work as relationships change, evolve and transform over time. And that includes our relationship with God.

The butterfly is considered a wonder of nature. It symbolizes personal transformation, changes, and rebirth. The metamorphosis of a caterpillar is amazing. It disappears into a chrysalis created from its own body, and before long, a delicate and graceful winged butterfly emerges. The butterfly is often used as a metaphor for the different stages we go through to become who we are meant to be.

As Christians, we believe we are constantly being transformed into Christ’s likeness through a lifelong process. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” We also believe that transformation should be faster than the time-lapse video speed we are experiencing.

The good news is that transformation is not about speed but about becoming like Jesus. The Bible tells us about a notorious sinner transformed by the Lord. His name was Zacchaeus.  The story of Zacchaeus’s transformation is told in the Bible in Luke 19:1-10. The story describes how a wealthy tax collector was transformed into a follower of Jesus.

The love of Jesus transformed Zacchaeus’ life. There is no more powerful force than that of love. Love holds the power to transform everything it touches. The transforming power of love heals the deepest wounds and softens the harshest scars. Love alters outcomes and changes lives. The transforming love of Jesus is the idea that God’s love through Jesus can change people’s lives and make them more like Christ. The transformation prompted Zacchaeus to give away half his earthly goods and restore what he had defrauded fourfold. Where many people may change their ways in the future, Zacchaeus took full responsibility for what he had done in the past and was ready to make it right. Transformation requires sacrifice. Jesus has been changing people for thousands of years. Not superficial change but molding them into His likeness.

As we conform to the image of Christ, we show God’s love to those around us. Godly, transforming love is expressed to others in how we live, not what we say. The love of God is the fuel that transforms us into people who routinely and quickly become more like Jesus than mere conformity.

Discussion Questions:

1. God loves you too much to stay the same: agree or disagree and why?
2. What areas of your life need to change or be transformed?