From resolutions to reformation...we can be transformed!

It's January so I figured I might as well talk about resolutions. So many people decide to make them and use January for a jumping off point of something new. In a time when stopping and starting is the norm the question is how do we create change that remains? I decided years ago to stop making resolutions. There are some things that we just need to stop. I want change in my life that remains.

We should all know that resolutions have a small chance of bringing about the true change that we desire. I did a quick Google search and discovered that fewer and fewer people are even bothering to make a New Years resolution. Those who do tend to make the same one over and over again from year to year. Most resolve to exercise more, save more money and eat healthier. That's fine for our society but I want and need something more. I want a life that's not just changed but it's been reformed. Is it too much to think that we could live lives that are so transformed by God that they actually look like a movement. Why be reformed and not just changed some way? What was the Reformation movement any way and how does it relate to change? The Reformation was a religious movement that forever changed organized religion and so many of us are thankful for the change. That is a very simplistic view but I'm not a theologian but I am a believer. If you're not familiar with the Reformation movement look it up it will make for some interesting reading.

I truly believe that if each of us decides that we can start a revolution that draws people to Christ, not a person or a personality, life as we know it could be transformed.

Consider this how would you go about creating your own personal reformation? It could be quite controversial and against the status quo. Could each of us create a revolution where Christ is at the center? When you look at your life would you be able to say that in your own way you are responsible for a reformation that began with you? Honestly I'm working on that right now and there's hope because I'm still living and God's not finished with me. I believe that it is the reformation that remains that creates transformation in our lives. Look at the history of organized religion. A reformation movement that started with one person was the catalyst for the change that was needed to create the Protestant movement. A movement that now has quite a few denominations and that number is constantly growing.

I don’t want to go backward in life. I want to be part of a movement that is a catalyst for true transformation. Transformation that starts with the individual and the ripples are felt across the world. You may think this is a naive viewpoint but I believe that with Christ anything is possible. Just some words to think about as we begin a new year. Will you be making resolutions or beginning a personal reformation that leads to lasting transformation? Remember once transformed you can’t go back and you shouldn't want to. Look at the butterfly. It became something beautiful. Let's keep moving forward.

From my heart to yours.