Transformational Goals

Happy Sunday. Today we continue in our series of Transformational Living. Thus far, we have talked about transformational choices, and transformational thinking was last week. Today I want to talk about transformational goals.

As a Christian, our goal should be to become more Christ-like every day. That should be our goal. I love how John the Baptist put it in John chapter 3, verse 30, talking about putting Jesus first and stating a great goal for all of us. John said about Jesus, "He must increase, and I must decrease." In a nutshell, that's a perfect transformational goal.

In Ephesians chapter 4, we're given some great help in the struggle of becoming new. In verse 22, we are told, "Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception." In verse 24, we are told, "Put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy." In verses 31 and 32, we see the contrast from the old to the new. There we are told, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

The phrase is "throw off your old sinful nature," found in verse 22, and "put on your new nature," found in verse 24, remind me of changing clothes. Paul is saying that we take off the old man like we're taking off old, ratty, smelly clothes. Putting on the new man is likened to fresh, clean garments. There's a big problem, however: some of us really like our old clothes. We're comfortable in them, they're broken in, and we're just used to them.

In the world of clothes, I remember having a set of pajamas as a kid. They were threadbare and filled with holes and way too small for me, but I loved them. I remember they magically disappeared because I wouldn't give them up. As an adult, every so often my wife will say to me, "That shirt needs to be a work shirt. It's only for the garage from now on. Don't wear it out in public."

We can be the same way with our old ways. Attitudes and actions and language, for example, can be hard to change. On our own, we're in trouble. With God's help, all things are possible. Back to verses 31 and 32 of Ephesians 4: "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

Over the years, I have seen God transform people who were involved in all types of evil behavior become new creations. I've seen alcoholics become pastors. I've seen people of bad reputation become reputable. I've seen angry people, hateful people, become loving. On the other side, to be honest, I've seen people slip and go the other way. The old clothes are always there waiting to be put back on, and we must daily stay connected to God for His help and guidance and our continual transformation.

Several years ago, Jeannie and I bought a new refrigerator from Home Depot. It was expensive. It was delivered to our house, and it broke almost immediately. They picked it up for service, and they kept it for weeks, and I got online to check the warranty and found out that it had been under warranty to other people. It evidently was returned to the store that we bought it from in Indiana and then sold to us as new.

I was in fairly constant contact with the manager of the store, and one Friday afternoon I was on the phone with him, and I was frustrated, and I suggested that we were lied to, and I was thinking of hiring a lawyer, and I didn't appreciate the runaround that I was getting. I didn't use bad words, I didn't raise my voice, I didn't call him names, but over that weekend I felt bad about the conversation. I felt I was unkind to the manager. He knew that I was a pastor, and I didn't want to give him a reason to doubt pastors or God. I felt like I'd put on my old clothes again.

So first thing Monday morning, I called him to apologize. He laughed and said I had nothing to apologize for. He wasn't bothered. It bothered me. Why did it bother me? Go back and read Ephesians 4:31-32. I cannot afford to put my old clothes back on. I cannot move backwards. I must continue to move towards the goal: transformation, to let Him increase and for me to decrease.

Colossians 3:10 says, "Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him." That is the transformational goal: to become like Him.

Years ago, I was a minister of youth at a church in Mississippi, and a young man in our youth group graduated high school and joined the National Guard. After basic training, he came by my office to catch up, and he was bothered because he had started cussing, and he knew it just didn't fit him. It was wrong. It bothered him. He told me that everyone else did it that can't boot camp and that he was like a sponge and just soaked it up. I'll never forget his analogy: like a sponge.

Mark realized as a young man that he wanted to do better. We prayed together. He became active in church again. He changed his language, and I remember back then in 1982 that we together looked at Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3. It's the truth. I've lost touch with Mark, and I pray he's still wearing his new clothes and never went back to the old one.

One of the things I love about God is that He can change us at any stage in our lives. Maybe you have a long time ahead of you, and maybe you're in the twilight of your days. It's never too late for transformation. Think about it. God bless.

Let's pray. Father, watch out over us and help us to continually put on the new and refuse the old. Let us be guided by the Holy Spirit in all that we do. Let us fill our minds with scripture and truth and not the things of this world. I pray for my friend Mark, wherever he is, that he's still wearing the new and pleasing You. That's my prayer for all of us, that we would please You as You increase in our lives and we decrease. In Jesus' name, amen.