TRANSFORMATION:  WHAT IF WE QUIT TRYING?

I’ve never once transformed a sunset.
But I’ve tried countless times to transform myself.

Here are some statements you might identify with:

• I have areas in my life that need fixing.
• There are things I don’t like about myself, and I wish I could change them.
• If only I could wake up tomorrow and the addiction was gone forever.
• The hurt never stops. Imagine life for one day free of pain.
• I try to change until I’m frustrated, but nothing seems to work.
• My life would be perfect if it weren’t for _____!
• I’ve come full circle, and I keep running into the same problem. Nothing ever changes.

Do any of these sound familiar? Exhausting? Discouraging? What if Jesus doesn’t need us to try harder? What if we believed and trusted Jesus to do what He’s so good at—transforming us into His likeness?

The Holy Spirit showed me the sunset scene and later emphasized this truth:

“Jeff, you had absolutely nothing to do with the transformation of the sky. This is the glorious work of My hands. I have created it for My good pleasure and your enjoyment.”

Okay. I’m eager to acknowledge His glory in all His marvelous creation.

“But, Jeff, you get to participate in My work. You get to be a witness to the transformation. You can choose to be present and engaged in My process. You can make the effort to get outside. You can learn the camera and take the photos.”

Ahh… it was starting to click. Of course, there was absolutely nothing I could do to contribute to the magnificence of God’s sunset handiwork before me. But, by stepping into His work, I was intentionally engaged in the sunset transformation as evidenced by these photos. If I had stayed in the house, the sunset would have still occurred—but I would have missed experiencing it.

The Lord and I reflected on the glory of the sky’s transformation. He reminded me of the beautiful changes He’s orchestrating in my life.

“…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13.

“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…” Philippians 1:6

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

The Creator of the universe is responsible for nature’s transformations; when did I rob him of the responsibility of transformation in me, His most cherished creation? Or why do I think I should take credit for any positive transformation in my life?

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Are you seeing the picture the Holy Spirit was showing me? Now, watch this:

“Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.” Psalm 127:1

Psalm 127 is well-known for its application to building a family and the reward and blessing of children. But have you ever considered how Jesus in us is revealed in this Psalm?

We are His house—His temple, His dwelling place. Jesus is building it, and the Holy Spirit is the watchman who guards it and guarantees it!

“It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the read of anxious toil – for He gives [blessing] to his beloved in sleep.” Vs. 2

My anxious efforts to build myself are in vain. He promises that those who are the object of His love—His beloved—receive His blessings even while they sleep. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places—in Christ—with zero effort. No anxious striving.

How much can you accomplish while you are sleeping? That’s the point. Jesus is at work in us, so we can stop our anxious striving. We can simply “rest” in Him.

There is so much more here in Psalm 127, such as:

• Your inheritance is the fruit (likened to children) that the Lord produces in you to carry His family name.
• Fruitfulness (fruit of the Spirit) is like arrows in your hand.
• Happy is the warrior (more than conqueror in Jesus) whose quiver is full
• There is no shame for the person being transformed by Jesus
• You can confidently declare your freedom surrounded by the fruits [children] of righteousness [right standing in Jesus] with your enemies [demonic forces] at the gate. The gate is the place of legal decisions. No one has a legal claim against you, because Jesus took the written accusations against us and nailed them to His cross. Guiltless. Confident. Hidden in Jesus.

In the early days of courting my now bride, I anxiously strove to get to know Roxanne—coming up with conversation topics and questions to move things forward.

During one particularly stressful moment of planning, the Holy Spirit gave me an image of a large sports stadium. He instructed me,

“Jeff, you need to get off the field and sit in the stands. This is My game. Let Me take control. You get to be an observer. Relax, watch, and enjoy what I’m creating in your relationship.”

When was the last time you stepped off the field and sat down to clap and cheer the transformation God is working in you, through you, and in your relationships?

In case you think I’m advocating laziness, apathy, or passivity, let me be clear: Jesus does the work inside us. Our responsibility is to fully cooperate with His process through trust—through surrendered belief in who He is— through relationship and intimacy with Him, and through obedient partnership.

The sunset was there. My role was to trust that if I stepped outside, I could experience it. And I still had to step outside and engage—to pick up the camera and capture the scene.

Transformation? Step outside and become an active participant in beholding the glorious work of God…

My photography afternoon started right here—with a wild Common Sunflower, captured before the sky began its transformation.

Look into this beautiful, happy face. Each time I do, there’s a transformation in me—my emotions shift to joy, and a smile appears naturally, without any effort of my own.

What if transformation really is that simple?