My Gran collected crystal animal ornaments. They would be on display in the living room looking ordinary most of the time, until the sun shone on them. Immediately the sun’s rays transformed the crystals—prisms of light would radiate across the room in dazzling displays of color. All the crystals had needed was the sun to show off their potential beauty. They changed from ordinary to extraordinary.
When someone becomes a Christian, a transformation takes place. The old ordinary self is renewed. Some people have immediate, dramatic, lifechanging experiences and are instantly cured of addictions or experience a revelation. Others do not, yet there is a powerful change inside of every believer. Through Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, He promises new life to all His forgiven followers. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, He has forgiven our sin (every evil thing we’ve ever done and ever will do), and His Holy Spirit is in us. He continues to transform us to be more like Jesus. Through Him, we can be more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled than we ever imagined possible (Galatians 5:22-23).
When you become a Christian, people may not understand why you’ve changed, and you’ll still struggle with sin and go through hard things, but in all these trials you’re never alone. Jesus understands the difficulties of being human, the everyday challenges of life, and the deep sorrows of death. He came to defeat sin, death, hell, and Satan and to establish His kingdom. Jesus heals brokenness, and when He returns to earth He will fully restore creation.
And right now, Jesus is with us through struggles and dreams. He is at the heart of all things good (James 1:17). When we trust in Him, He gives us the strength and grace to endure difficult situations. He gives us determination to keep going and be who God has created us to be. As we follow Jesus, His good news shines through our lives. • Cindy Lee
• What is one thing you like about the way God made you?
• How might God be transforming you to be more like Jesus?
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,†has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6 (NLT)
Read Verses:
John.13.1-John.13.17|Mark.10.45
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