“You mustn’t fret. There is no arriving, ever. It is all a continual becoming.”
~ Joan Anderson, “A Year By The Sea”
“Becoming” as defined in the dictionary: The process of coming to be something, or turn into, change into, be transformed into, be converted into…
Notice that it’s a PROCESS!
“Process” as defined in the dictionary: A series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.
It’s so important to get a revelation that this “becoming all God created us to be” is an ongoing process.
ONGOING!!
We will never on this earth reach a stopping place in our “becoming”—our transformation into His likeness.
And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]. Romans 12:2 (AMP)
As we submit to the process–a sometimes painful one—we begin to “see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—-who is the Spirit—-makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18
(Italics, underlining and red letter emphasis mine)
We are transformed into HIS IMAGE!!
Good grief. This is almost more than I can handle it’s so amazingly wonderful!
Messy, imperfect me and messy imperfect you– radiating His Glory as we behold Him…and given the honor of shining His glory through us…
I love reading “The Message Bible” version:
Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. 2 Corinthians 3:18
Let’s look at that last part again: …our lives gradually (not immediately) will become brighter and more beautiful–
{ isn’t that a wonderful transformation to imagine in your mind’s eye? }
How? “as God enters our lives”
And then what happens? “We become like Him.”
It’s possible to become like HIM??? The Beautiful One??
{ a selah moment for sure }
And it is God who does the work, not us.
So we can be assured that the transformation IS taking place…
…for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2: 13
And how is this done? As it says in Romans 12:2, it is by the renewing of our minds. We renew our minds by meditating on Him–His Word. Jesus is the Word.
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. John 1:14a
It starts with the seed.
The talent.
The gift.
The idea.
The dream.
Buds.
It progresses through the process—the renewing of our minds and the beholding of Him—that produces BLOOMS!
Unique, shimmering, blooms radiating His glory.
So without getting too much deeper into this, let’s just know that becoming all God created us to be is a process.
This frees us in knowing that we will never be perfect and that we will never “arrive.”
We can enjoy the steps along the way much more when we quit trying to be perfect and when we know that it is HIM working in and through us–using the gifts and talents that He placed within us.
It’s not at all about what we can do all by our lonesome.
It is entirely about what He can do through us with His abilities and talents that He equipped us with!
Hallelujah!
Takes the pressure off, amen?
journaling… (keepin’ it real)
Something working in me yesterday and the day before was the word “becoming.” It isn’t the first time this word has worked its way into my consciousness. It has something to do with my purpose, I feel certain. Something to do with what I am to write. This is why the Nin quote speaks so deeply to my heart–the one about how it becomes more painful to stay in the bud than to blossom.
The blooms begin to push their way out and the desire to let them blossom cannot be shoved down and hidden any more without great distress. And, so…why do that? Why try to stop the blooms? Why try to stop the natural outpouring? Why not let the dam release? Why?? Is “becoming” who you are frightening? What is there to fear? Loss? Loss of what? Loss of living a life that is not authentic? Ah, that would be a good loss indeed. To slip off and out of the skin that has been ill-fitting. To put on the new skin, the new life, that fits perfectly. Yes. To shed the old life and put on the new. All things become (BECOME!!) new in Him. Put away the old life. Live the new one. I { ‘m driving it home. }
Write. Compile. It will come together. The threads will bind. The picture will become clear. It will something specific. It will not be a mess. It will be well defined. It will be…beautiful. Meld with it. Become one with it. Become one with the words, the writing, the message. Like music in the soul.
Like a musician who becomes one with the music they play.
It is a spiritual experience.
It is like no other on this earth–this “becoming one” with the gift, the talent. Because the gift and talent are SPIRITUAL IN NATURE!
They are spiritual gifts so of course when they are used there is a greater sense of the experience of becoming closer to the Giver of the gift. He is in the gift, the talent–like blood vessels in the body.
His LIFE courses through the talent, the gift–a life source that brings His energy to all who partake–who eat the words or listen to the music or visually drink in the art that comes from Him–the divine inspiration that worked through the artist onto the page, the canvas, the cantata…He is a part of it.
This is My blood and body. Eat. Drink. Experience Me. You can sense it. It is almost within grasp. You feel it. Oh that it could be held onto forever–this experience, this touch of God.
Becoming. Become the person God created you to be. Allow the natural, progressive growth of becoming. First the seed. Then the plant. Then the blossoms for sharing and admiring and enjoying.
The blossoms of God. Beautiful. Transcendent. Not necessary for the physical body but yet so very necessary for the spirit man. Vital sustenance to the thriving of the spirit man within.