Change and Transformation
When I reflect on my life and look at pivotal moments where real change occurred, where the trajectory of my life was altered, there seemed to be some common elements in each case. I began thinking about these moments and it almost seemed to create a formula for change.
The discomfort of staying the same becomes greater than the discomfort of change. This has played out mentally, emotionally, and physically in my life. It could mean the regret of not starting the business finally outweighing the risk of starting it. It meant furthering my education to get a different or better job. It may have meant finally having the tough conversation in a relationship. It could mean starting counseling or therapy. Action finally seemed better than inaction.
Taking complete accountability and ownership. Anytime I made excuses or blamed others for circumstances in my life, I essentially transferred the power of shaping and directing my life away from myself to another person or the cause of the excuse. It was a tough pill to swallow, but once I accepted that I am responsible for where I am , and for getting to where I want to be, I became much more free and intentional. No one is coming to save you. No one has it out for you. No one is going to randomly invite you to the table or offer you the job because of your thoughts or intentions. This mentality has truly been a catalyst for real change in my life.
Seek wisdom. This step truly became one of the biggest variables that determined success. Many of my failed attempts at change resulted from relying on willpower and surface-level Google searches, rather than truly seeking wisdom from others who had achieved success in the area I was trying to change. Humbling myself and learning from those I was scared to look ignorant in front of became a superpower. I also found out that 99% of people were eager to help and share wisdom unconditionally.
Take the risk. Risk also plays a factor, financial risk, social risk, physical risk, and more. Going into a gym without knowing what half the equipment does. Taking the financial risk of starting a business. Most of the risk was actually far more fear than reality. Most of what discourages people is the fear of losing a made-up social status or the fear of losing some comfort. But one lesson that holds true is that taking the risk kills the regret.
It will be difficult. It will probably be harder than you think and take longer than expected. This is where discipline and perseverance come in. This is where loving the process becomes crucial. If it is a bigger goal that many people want but few pursue, there is a reason. It is hard. From something as simple as being a better father to trying to invent and patent something, difficulty is part of the process.
Reflect and repeat. There should be a constant question of "Am I getting closer to the goal?" Constant reflection, evaluating success and fulfillment in the process, and adjusting strategies along the way are all essential.
It is so easy to settle into a state of discomfort without taking the action you know you need to take. It builds uneasy feelings of resentment, frustration, apathy, and jealousy. The only antidote is action. The major common factor for me in these moments has been humility and calculated effort. It was truly amazing how many doors began to open and how much "luck" I seemed to have after applying these principles. And yet, as good as these principles are, they only take us so far. The Bible points to something deeper , not just change, but total transformation. And the difference between the two is everything.
A Biblical Perspective
The principles listed above are good and can apply to our faith. However, there is a key difference. Jesus is not looking for us to apply better habits or solely manage sin. We are looking at total transformation. Death to life. Darkness to light. Worldly to godly. Hell to holy. This is not a new hobby or a workout program.
Ironically, the infinite difference between worldly ambitions and being made worthy of heaven does not require an infinite amount of work. It actually means the opposite. Let me explain.
I often quote Ephesians 2:8-9 in my writing because I do not want people to fall into the trap of trying to earn their way into heaven: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast." It does not work that way, and trying to perform for God leads to a lot of frustration and discomfort. Trust me.
This change comes from the work that Jesus did on earth and the grand design God created for us. We get the choice to believe and accept that when Jesus was crucified on the cross and said "It is finished," he meant it for you and me too. I struggled with this for so long. "You mean to tell me that all I have to do is believe in Jesus?"
Yes. But truly believing in him means understanding the weight of our sin and the unfathomable weight of his sacrifice. It means that this belief and acceptance makes him the Lord of your life. This means repenting, or turning away, from all the worldly things that used to be the lord of your life; money, power, sex, comfort, etc. and turning to him. So does this mean works? No. But changing what you believe in and worship will change a lot of your actions as a result.
This is where transformation comes in. We can change habits, read the Bible, be a "good" person, and even attend church, but none of that transforms us. The Bible tells us that even demons know Jesus and Scripture. Paul, in Romans 12:2, tells us that we are "transformed by the renewing of our mind."
The word transformed that Paul uses comes from the Greek word metamorphoo, which means "to change into another form," "to transform," or "to transfigure." If you paid attention in elementary science like I did not, you would recognize the root (metamorphosis) likely paired with a picture of a caterpillar, a cocoon, and a butterfly.
This is the type of transformation Paul is talking about. And he is one of the most qualified people to ever write about it. Formerly known as Saul of Tarsus, he was a zealous Pharisee who hunted, persecuted, and arrested Christians. Then, on the road to Damascus, he encountered the risen Jesus, and everything changed. The man who set out to destroy the church became one of its greatest builders, writing much of the New Testament and planting churches across the known world. The same hands that once dragged Christians to prison were later beaten and imprisoned for preaching the gospel. That is not a lifestyle adjustment. That is metamorphosis.
The key question is: what did he do to make that happen? What do you do right here, right now? The answer is the same, and it does not come down to effort. It comes down to trusting God and letting go of the need to control the outcome yourself.
Think about the caterpillar. What did that little guy actually do to become a butterfly? He trusted God's design. He did not try to pull wings out of his back or jump off a branch and wiggle really hard. He made the cocoon and rested. He became completely vulnerable, surrendered to the process, and let God's design do what it was always meant to do.
Renewing our mind works the same way. We have to stop and trust. Stop chasing worldly things, be still, and surrender to him. It is a total mindset change - in how we act, what we pursue, and what we believe. There is real vulnerability in it, because we have to release the grip on everything we thought we knew, so much of which was shaped by the world and the enemy. What got us here has to go. It is scary to say "I cannot fix this myself." But that surrender is precisely where faith begins. It is the first step described in Ephesians 2:8-9.
Jesus gives the example of wineskins when referring to the mind, and it is worth sitting with. He says you cannot pour new wine into old wineskins. New wine is still fermenting and releasing gases, which would cause the old, stretched-out skin to burst. The point is that you cannot receive what God has for you while clinging to an old way of thinking. The mind that was formed by the world, shaped by selfishness, and trained to seek comfort and control cannot simply absorb the things of God without first being made new. A new mind is like a new wineskin, flexible, open, and able to hold what is being poured in. And the new wine is Jesus himself.
Once our mind is renewed, it shows up in our actions. Thoughts lead to action, and this is where faith and obedience follow naturally. This is where the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22 ( love, peace, joy, and more) begins to grow in our lives. Once our mind truly grasps how great, powerful, and loving God is, faithfulness and obedience stop feeling like obligations and start feeling like responses. Serving others. Telling others about Jesus. Praying. Rejoicing. Giving. This is the evidence of a renewed mind and a transformed life.
The metamorphosed butterfly would never want to go back to crawling in the dirt. He has seen too much. He has a whole new perspective, one of freedom, color, and joy that the caterpillar could never have imagined. And if he could, he would go find every other caterpillar still on the ground and tell them: trust the cocoon. Trust the process. Trust the One who designed you for more than this.
Until next time, Cam