To Be Conformed...

So often, we have the wrong view of what God is up to in our lives. We think we know what He is doing, and we set our hopes accordingly. When our expectations fail, we become depressed, disappointed, discouraged. “Where is God?” we say. “Why did He do this to me?” we despond, thinking He is out to “get us,” that He’s punishing us for sins we committed. We rack our minds, trying to think of why the supposed punishment was inflicted, thinking that if only we would have done better, or will make amends this time, that the Lord will be happy, and will give us what we want, as though He is a genie and we can control Him with our actions. “But look at everything that happened, Lord. It sure looked like You were going to do this, and then everything exploded in front of me. Why did You even torment me with the hope of fulfilled desires?”

Wrong thinking. Wrong expectations. I’m waiting for the wrong thing. God’s thoughts are not my thoughts, and His ways are not my ways. His end, over-arching, overall purpose for my life is not something that is tangible. It is not something physical, a person, place or thing. It cannot be seen with the mind that doesn’t think like Him. It is un-tangible. It is not something we can see by sight, but only by the eyes of faith. It is only for the spiritual, seeking person, for it is the purpose of God, Who cannot be seen with physical eyes. It is only for those who will grasp by faith the only thing they understand – the character of God; that He is good, and He is love. It is for those who take the clearly revealed will of God, “in everything give thanks,” and realize that through all the evil and sin they must weave their way through life in, God means it all for good in the end. It is to grasp by faith that what things I would have counted gain for myself, I must count loss for Christ; that I must count ALL things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Am I willing to suffer the loss of all things, and count them but dung that I may win Christ? Am I willing to place that much value on Christ? Am I willing to purposefully and mindfully choose Him to be in that place in my life; to make Him my first desire, and to suffer the loss of all things for Him; to place Him above my own ideas of gain? In God’s reckoning book, being conformed to the image of Christ – an un-tangible thing – is the most important thing for a Christian. In fact, the Father has predestinated us to it – that is what life is all about (Rom.8:29). This is the whole purpose of God for any saved man. Anything and everything that happens can be “the will of God” if we realize that through it all, there is an unseen Hand that created or allowed the circumstances we are in to conform us to the image of Christ. Without this conformity, there is no purpose or power in life. But the promise is there - the promise of satisfaction, for the psalmist said, "I SHALL be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." After all, that is what we were created for in the first place (Gen.1:26).

To Be Conformed

Verse 1:

I was created for Your pleasure (Rev.4:11), and for Your work employ (Jn.15:16)

To bring forth fruit unto perfection will be my greatest joy (Jn.15:16;Lk8:14)

To transform my mind to think the way You want me to (Rom.12:1-2)

As I reckon myself as dead to sin but alive unto You (Rom.6:11)

Chorus:

To be conformed to the image of Your Son

To be like Jesus when all is said and done (Rom.8:29)

And Father if You are for this Who can be against the One (Rom.8:31)

Who for me spared not His Son? (Rom.8:32)

Verse 2:

Can I do unto others as I'd have them do to me? (Lk.6:31)

Can I pray like Jesus prayed in Gethsemene?

Can I say, "Not my will, but Thine, Lord, be done in the end?" (Lk.22:42)

Do I have no greater love than to die for my Friend? (Jn.15:13)

Verse 3:

This life I now live, for Your sake I must lose

For if I would find my life, Your way I must chose (Mt.10:39)

But I know some day it'll be worth it all when with You I awake,

For I shall be satisfied when with Your likeness I awake! (Ps.17:15)