The Art of Becoming: Transforming into the Image of Christ

In the bustling world we live in, it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of daily life, focusing on our behavior or our accomplishments. But what if there's something more profound at stake? What if the most crucial question isn't about what we're doing, but who we're becoming?

Imagine yourself transported back to first-century Jewish culture. A rabbi approaches you and says two simple words: "Follow me." In that moment, you'd understand the weight of those words. Following a rabbi wasn't just about learning information; it was about becoming like them in every way possible.

Disciples in those times would imitate everything about their rabbi - from the way they spoke and prayed to how they walked. There was even a saying: "Let your house be a meeting place for the rabbis, and cover yourself in the dust of their feet, and drink their words with thirst." The imagery is powerful - walking so closely behind your rabbi that you'd be covered in the dust from their sandals, hanging on their every word.

This is the picture Jesus painted when He called His first followers, and it's the same invitation He extends to us today. It's not just about believing in Jesus; it's about becoming like Him.

The apostle Paul understood this concept deeply. In his letter to the Romans, he wrote: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). Paul presents us with two options: conforming to the world or being transformed by Christ. If we conform to the world, we risk being deformed. But if we allow ourselves to be transformed by Jesus, we're reformed into the people we were always meant to be.

So how do we ensure we're being transformed rather than conformed? It starts by recognizing the inputs that shape who we become:

1. Habits: We are what we repeatedly do. Every habit, from late-night shopping to constant email checking, doesn't just affect what we do - it shapes who we become.

2. Relationships: Our closest relationships profoundly influence how we think, act, and view the world.

3. Stories: As a species, we're shaped by stories. The narratives we believe in become the building blocks of our reality.

4. Environments: The places we inhabit shape us more than we realize. Studies have shown that even our walking pace can be influenced by where we live!

5. Experiences: Our past experiences, both those we've initiated and those that have happened to us, play a significant role in shaping our identity.

The challenge is that most people are unintentional about their formation. We rarely ask ourselves, "What is what I'm doing, doing to me?" But Jesus offers us a different path. In Luke 6:40, He says, "Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher."

Jesus not only tells us it's possible to become like Him, but He also invites us into His training program. If we want the life of Jesus, we must adopt the lifestyle of Jesus. This training program involves:

1. Habits → The Practices: Intentional spiritual practices based on Jesus' life, such as Sabbath, prayer, fasting, solitude, generosity, and service.

2. Relationships → Intentional Community: Harnessing our relational inputs to become more like Jesus through meaningful connections with fellow believers.

3. Stories → Teaching: Filling our minds with Jesus' teachings, allowing Him to "re-story" our lives and renew our minds.

4. Environment → The Holy Spirit: Making God our primary environment, our home where we find rest and life.

It's important to remember that this process of becoming is slow. Spiritual formation is more like growing trees than building apps. It's not always linear or immediately visible. As James Houston wisely noted, "Spiritual growth is the slowest of all human movements."

Most of our spiritual growth happens gradually, a little at a time. This is why Jesus often used slow-growing elements like trees, crops, and vines as metaphors for spiritual growth. Change is a long, slow process. A mushroom might grow overnight, but it takes only a slight push to knock it over. A redwood, on the other hand, takes years to grow but can withstand fierce storms.

Spiritual growth is the slowest of all human movements. – James Houston

The apostle Paul captures this gradual transformation beautifully in 2 Corinthians 3:18: "We are being transformed into his glorious image with ever-increasing glory." It's a continuous process, not a one-time event.

As we embark on this journey of becoming, it's crucial to trust the process. You may not feel like you're who you want to be yet, or that your growth isn't happening quickly enough. But if you remain intentional in your formation, stay in Jesus' training program, continue with spiritual practices, engage in intentional community, fill your mind with truth, and open your heart to the Holy Spirit, you will become who Jesus has envisioned you to be.

Take a moment to reflect: Imagine yourself at the end of your life. Your family and friends have gathered to tell your story. What kind of story will they tell? What words will they use to describe you? What values will they say you were known for? If they summed up your life in a sentence, what would they say?

Now, ask yourself honestly: If nothing about your life right now were to change, would you become more like Jesus or less?

The invitation of Jesus isn't just to believe in Him – it's to become like Him. And that transformation won't happen by accident. The art of becoming is an intentional decision that only you can make.

As you go about your day, week, and life, remember: you are already becoming someone. The question is, who are you becoming? And are you becoming more like Christ? Let this be your motivation to engage intentionally with your spiritual formation, trusting that as you open yourself to God's transformative work, you will gradually, but surely, be molded into the image of Christ.

1. Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
2. 2 Corinthians 3:18 - "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
3. John 15:4 - "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."
4. Philippians 1:6 - "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
5. Galatians 4:19 - "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you."
6. Ephesians 4:22-24 - "You were taught… to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."
7. Colossians 3:10 - "And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."
8. James 1:4 - "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
9. 1 John 2:6 - "Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."
10. Psalm 139:23-24 - "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."