August 2009

Transitions remind us that nothing remains the same. Everything is constantly changing, including you and me. Transition means change. When we first came to Christ, there was a transition that took place. We were sinners in need of a Savior. Then we met Christ, and now we are sinners saved by grace. An artist uses oil paints to depict her picture. It begins with an empty canvas and then is transformed as her imagination is transferred to the canvas. The more she paints, the more vivid her picture. God is painting our lives. Some of us have only a few brush strokes, others are near masterpiece quality. But it is God who is the artist. He is the One giving us life and color, bringing out the uniqueness and vividness of each one of us with great detail. The Apostle Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 3.18 “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord…” We are in the process of transformation. From a worldly likeness to that of Christ. A transition from being self-centered and self-pleasing to Christ-centered and Christ-pleasing.
Like John the Baptist, God must increase, we must decrease. We are a people in transition.

Life is very real. It’s like we are living our own “reality tv show.“ It is full of joys as well as sorrows. The path we find ourselves often does not match our dreams or expectations. As we face the hardships of life, our world shouts out, “give up on God” or “why bother?” But because of God’s great love, we can still have hope for the future. God uses the tough times to mature us and enhance us for His use. When we go through the tough times, we cry and want to give up. But it is God who embraces us and is tender towards us, and as we heal, we become aware of those around us who have the same hurts, and God uses us to administer His grace to the hurting. Our hurt increased our sensitivity so that we might express tender love and mercy to those who hurt as we did. That is a transition of sorts as well.

The Bible also speaks of a transition that will happen in the twinkling of an eye, when the trumpet shall sound and we shall be with the Lord in the air. Whenever I see clouds up in the sky, I wonder if today could be the day that I stand in the clouds with my Savior, the Lord Jesus. This transition leaves behind the temporary and lays hold of the eternal. This is the hope of every follower of Christ since the disciples stood still, looking up at Jesus as He ascended to heaven. The angels present that day said that Jesus would return in the same way. So we look up and wonder when this wonderful day of transition will be.

Our lives take us from birth to death. Our life with God begins the moment we put our trust in Him and will never end. Transitions may come and go, yet it is God who remains the same. He is the One Constant in an ever changing universe. When all around us everything gives way, yet He is the Rock, the Corner Stone, the Foundation of our Faith. God will not change and His Word will not change. So God invites us to trust Him as we go through the ebb and flow of life. With Christ we do have strength for today and hope for the future. So don’t let any transition, whether good or bad, take that away from you, for you belong to God.

Blessings,
Pastor Pete