4 Simple Steps to Life Transformation
Many Christians are never taught about life transformation beyond salvation. Instead, they’re taught to learn information, modify their behavior, and to act and behave according to guidelines for acceptance, community, and ministry promotion.
Unfortunately, this leads to many still living broken lives and learning to hide what Jesus wants to heal.
As pastors and Christian leaders, our goal should be to effectively disciple believers to become transformed world-changers. If you’re a disciple-maker teaching others to be a follower of Jesus, here’s a simple plan to teach others how to experience life transformation (and experience transformation of you own)…
- Identify
- Discover
- Surrender
- Build
IDENTIFY the areas God desires to work in
This may be a current tension in your life, a pain point, or an area of obvious lack in character, peace, or godliness. Pray and ask God, for example, to show you which of the fruit of the Spirit you’re lacking in. If you struggle with self control, this is an obvious area that God wants to transform.
DISCOVER what God’s intention is for you in that area
This will often come through seeking God’s voice and reading scriptures that pertain to your need.
First, pray and ask God to speak to you about His desire for your life in this area. Then, use your Bible app’s search feature or do a quick Google search for, “what does the Bible say about ________”. Don’t look for answers from websites or commentaries, just look for scriptures that you can read and pray about.
God will show you the misalignment between your current condition and His intended plan for your life.
SURRENDER yourself to this revealed plan
Through prayer, fully abandon yourself from those broken patterns or wounds, and yield yourself to the Lord for healing and change. Often, this will be accompanied by repentance from dead works, but also receiving healing from things done to you.
Don’t rush this part… Completely surrender to the Lord in prayer. This will result in transformation within your heart and mind.
This will not be the complete work He wants to do, but it is the very necessary beginning. It will always start with surrender.
And finally…
BUILD healthy habits and practices into your life
…that reinforce this great work of transformation the Lord is bringing to you. True faith will always be accompanied by obedient actions. As the Lord reveals to you what He desires you to do, continue to bring that back to him in prayer and reflect on where you are and what you’re still feeling to change.
Never feel that your brokenness or your lack of “measuring up” keeps you from His presence. He literally died to give you free access into his presence and to offer you this beautiful transformation! What he’s calling you to is an abiding relationship, flaws and all!
If you’d like to learn more about leading your church in discipleship, please reach out to me. I’d love to help you change the culture of your church to become mobilized disciple-makers.