“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29)
Dear People Who Keep Company with God,
God’s highest calling for every one of us is not a wonderful ministry, business, or influence, but to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. In the beginning, God created man in His image and likeness with the intent to populate the earth with people just like Himself. Although man forsook his place as the crown jewel in creation God never changed His mind. Today, Jesus Christ is the firstborn of a new race of heavenly people. We are born into this world with the image of the man of dust, Adam, but when we are born again, we can be transformed into the image of the heavenly Man, Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 15:49). If you know this in your heart, you can overcome the trials, sorrow, and trouble that will come your way in this life. It is not an accident that Romans 8:28 comes right before Romans 8:29. They work together. One without the other is an incomplete story. The first verse tells us, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” God allows in His wisdom what He could prevent in His power. He will allow you to go through trying times to form Christ in you. In your sorrows, there is an opportunity to trust in the wisdom of God. We see this in Jesus. Even though He was already the Son of God, He still learned obedience by the things which he suffered (see Hebrews 5:8-9).
We, as humans, tend to be more event oriented than process oriented. Both are necessary. Events are like the birth of a child. I vividly remember the birth of each my three children. The process happens in the days and years of raising the child. We do not always remember, and in some cases, we would rather forget the daily process of raising children. Always keep in mind that you are transformed and conformed into the image of Christ daily, not in a day. If you lose sight of this, you will become discouraged and may lose heart because troubles and trials seem so counter intuitive to life in the kingdom of God. History is full of lives wrecked because of ungraceful reaction to difficulty. I have experienced some tragic and trying times and I have not always handled them in the most graceful way, and it just made things worse. But God is always graceful and faithful, and in the end, He has never let me down. He uses my troubles to mold me into who He created me to be. You will never be the unique person you are destined to become apart from being conformed to the image of Christ. Christ is your highest identity. In your difficulties, ask the Father to give you peace of mind, and understanding to see the troubles as your servants helping you to become all you are created to be.
Many Blessings, BW