Desire for God is the key to spiritual transformation!
The second stifling misconception for this first paradigm states, obedience is the key to spiritual transformation. Some Christians find this second stifling misconception troubling. For we can point to many passages in the Old and New Testament in which God tells us to obey him. And I heartily agree that we should and must obey him! So how can this statement be a stifling misconception?
Go back to the older brother in Luke 15 again. Remember what he threw in his father’s face when his dad begged him to come in and celebrate the return of his younger brother? “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.” (Luke 15:29 emphasis mine) The older brother took pride in the fact that he had always obeyed his father, yet he rejected his father—and his father’s son—his brother. Even though he had always obeyed his father, he is angry, disrespectful and self-righteous. In his obedience he was alienated from his father.
Obedience is NOT the key to spiritual transformation (i.e., becoming more Christlike). Obedience follows as a natural result of love. Had the older brother loved his father, he would have become like his father and would have understood his father’s tender response to the younger brother. He still would’ve obeyed his father, but because of his love and desire to please him.
I grew up as the oldest in a family of five children. We used to give my mom a terrible time when it came to doing our chores. I remember complaining, grumbling and arguing with her about mowing the lawn, cleaning, taking out the garbage and anything else she asked us to do. I’m ashamed to think of all the ways I disobeyed my parents back then.
But one evening when I was about twelve, my parents asked me to watch my brothers and sister while they went out with some friends. In a moment truly out of character for us, we schemed together how we might demonstrate our love for Mom and Dad. All five of us went to work through the house like cleaning maniacs. We cleaned and picked up like we never had before. We finished cleaning and thought now what? What else can we do to surprise and demonstrate our love for Mom and Dad?
So we decided to bake cookies. We pulled them hot out of the oven just as Mom and Dad got home. There we were standing in birth order (just like in Sound of Music) with a plate of hot cookies and faces beaming with joy. Our parents were truly moved by our expression of love and desire to please them.
I’ve often thought back over that experience and marveled how easy it was to do the chores (obey) when our motivation was desire to please Mom and Dad. Many other times I had obeyed, but with a stubborn, rebellious heart.
Think about the following. When our children are living in a state of loving submission to us and truly desiring to please us and love us, we don’t scold them to obey us! No, it’s only when they are stubborn, rebellious and disobedient that we must resort to demands for obedience. Our heart’s longing is the former condition, not the latter. Why would we think that God wants it any other way? (Matthew 7:11)
The key to spiritual transformation (becoming more like Jesus) is to desire him, enjoy him and spend time with him. For in his presence we we cannot remain unchanged. Obedience is the natural outcome of spiritual transformation, not the means to it.
©2009 Rob Fischer
2 comments
Sometimes I feel too busy to “spend time with Him”.
I know that sounds foolish – heck, I know it IS foolish.
But it’s so easy for me to get caught up in busy-ness that I forget to just be with God. Or I sometimes fool myself by saying, “Well, I will spend time with Him as I go about my day.” That SOUNDS nice, but in practice, I don’t think it works very well for me.
What do you think are some ways we can spend more time with God even amidst our busy, modern lives?
Ray, that’s a great question and one that I’ve wrestled with too. Also, for those who don’t know me well, I’ve not always been a pastor. I served in the military and worked in the corporate world for many years. I’ve been single, married, married with kids, and now married and a grandpa. So I know the challenges we face in various circumstances that are constantly changing.
I think the key to spending time with the Lord is to constantly remind ourselves that we are cultivating a relationship with our heavenly Father. This isn’t about clocking hours reading the Bible or praying. This is about growing in our relationship with God. Having said that, here’s what I do: I decided that my relationship with the Lord is so important, that I must spend scheduled time with him each day. When we do this during the day really doesn’t matter. I’m a morning person, so I meet with God over coffee every morning. A spend a lot of time simply sitting before him in his presence and listening to him. My prayers consist mostly of conversations that I have with Him about my day and the people I will come into contact with. I also discuss with him my challenges and thank him for his provision in my life. I constantly realign myself with him, telling him how needy and dependent I am on him. I confess my sins and invite him to change me and make him more like him.
After this time of “prayer” I read the Bible. When I go to the Word, I go to meet with God. I ask him to speak to me and reveal his will and desire for my life. Sometimes I read many chapters in one sitting and other times I’m so taken by a single sentence or verse that I spend all my time on that. God reveals his character to us in his Word and I need to know his character to get to know him better and become more like him.
Finally, I do spend time with him as I go about my day. What I mean by that is that I invite him into everything I do. That is, I don’t want to go anywhere or do anything without him! That’s what an intimate relationship is like. I enjoy him immensely and want to spend time with him wherever I go and whatever I’m doing!
I hope that helps!
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