In this introductory episode of Transformers, I’m going to talk about How to Transform your life into something Awesome!
Which begs the question…Why isn’t your life awesome now? Or if you already think your life is awesome, then how can your life become Awesomer? (I know that isn’t a word, but you get it)
Life is not about struggle. It is about transformation…transformation to something AWESOME!
The Masterkey to unlocking all the security, confidence, control, and success you have always been looking for comes from developing your special God-given gift.
But how do you find your gift?
How do you develop it?
How do you employ it?
The answers to those questions are found in the process of transformation.
Transformation is not complicated, and the process is easier than you could imagine.
Are you ready to transform?
What if…
What if You knew for certain that you were living your purpose?
What would it feel like to wake up each day in the center of God’s will for your life?
How much confidence would that give you that all your needs would be met…and then some?
Your Options
Your only other option is to conform to the world around you.
- You can listen to the experts in what doesn’t work,
- you can become a greater part of a world gone crazy,
- and you can continue to strive and struggle for what they say will bring you happiness.
For many, conforming to the world means a life of quiet desperation.
On the other hand, you could seek for what really fulfills you. It is your choice.
Albert Einstein said,
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Which describes exactly what people that conform to the world are doing. They are doing whatever the career counsellors tell them to do to get ahead, or whatever “conventional wisdom” dictates.
And the apostle Paul said that,
we aren’t supposed to be conformed to this world, but we are supposed to be transformed by the renewing of our mind to the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.
My paraphrase of Romans 12:2
But before we get into the heavy stuff,
I thought I’d take a moment to explain why I choose a Phoenix as the logo for Transformers.
The legend of the Phoenix can be found in many ancient civilizations, including early Christianity, for two reasons.
First, because of its symbolism of life, death, and rebirth.
And secondly, because it is a story of transformation from one form into another.
For those of you that may not be familiar with the myth, the Phoenix was a majestic bird-like creature that lived in Paradise and was blessed with a lifespan of 1000 years.
At the end of 1000 years the Phoenix flew from Paradise into the mortal world so that it could be reborn. Once the Phoenix reached Phoenicia, it built a nest of the herbs and spices it had gathered and waited for the sun to rise.
The next morning a spark to fell from the sky and ignited the nest, and the Phoenix in flames. All that was left from the fire was a tiny worm. After three days, the worm was transformed into a new, majestic and AWESOME Phoenix to live another 1000 years.
Now, I could have used a butterfly as a symbol of transformation, and I’ll admit that butterflies are beautiful, but they’re not as cool as the myth of the Phoenix.
OK, moving right along…
As you may have guessed,
Transformers is a faith-based Personal Development Program
Why should you be interested in a Personal Development Program?
Something probably brought you to a place where you want more from life than you find in your current condition, and you don’t know what to do about it. You may have many more questions than you have answers, and you are looking.
But where do you start and where do you want to go? You probably want some kind of plan to get from where you are to that “better place.”
One of the best know persons in the personal development field, Brian Tracy, had this to say,
“Focusing on your own individual personal development plan enhances the qualities you hold within you and makes your dreams and aspirations turn into a reality. Your potential is limitless and investing in personal development is a way to harness your many talents. The root of personal development and success is your level of self-confidence. Self-confidence is the critical factor in everything you accomplish because, with the appropriate amount, you will try almost anything”
I think Brian Tracy nailed it. The reason so many people are investing in their own personal development is because they want more confidence…the kind that will lead to greater success.
From Whatever to AWESOME
But let’s face it, most people really just drift through life. They have a “whatever” attitude to life because they feel powerless to change theirs.
If your plan was to get good grades in school, so that you could get a good job, so that you could work for 40+ years in a career that was not your purpose, so that some day you could retire and hope your money doesn’t run out before you die…then that was drifting.
Or, you might have described your life as one of constant struggle. Struggling to survive from paycheck to paycheck, hopefully with a little bit of money left over for some form of entertainment to distract you from your condition.
As Scott Jeffrey (a conventional Personal Development guru) said,
“When you don’t have a vision, a plan, or a goal, where does your attention go? For most people, their attention goes to entertainment and distraction. Sight, sound, and motion captivate our brains. Television shows, films, video games, and social media hook the primitive parts of our brain. If you’re an overachiever who defines yourself by external accomplishments and status, your attention likely gets fixated on more work, higher productivity, and making more money. The primary question when creating a Personal Development Plan is: Where am I going to place my attention and awareness? When entertainment, distraction, and workaholism consume our attention, something doesn’t feel right within us. We may not identify it, but parts of us aren’t happy with this agenda.”
So, here’s my question for you…do any of those reasons or symptoms described by Brian Tracy and Scott Jeffrey apply to you?
We just talked about why personal development might be important to you, but why would you want a faith-based Personal Development Program?
If you call yourself a Christian, whether or not you go to church, and regardless of your denomination, somewhere in your spirit you know there is supposed to be more to life. You suspect that God has a plan and a purpose that is ideal for you, but you have no idea what they are or how to find them.
If you have checked out the personal development plans offered by conventional or secular people, they leave you feeling that something isn’t quite right. Whether it is their foul language or their entire reliance on your self, with no mention of God, it just doesn’t sit right with you. You have no interest in eastern meditation or new age solutions because somewhere in your DNA you know there is a practical, faith-based answer to your needs.
Well, you are right, there is. There is plan available to anyone who is looking for it, and God’s way is always the best way. His answers are practical, simple, and not mysterious. In fact, you will be pleasantly surprised at just how easy it is to live the AWESOME life you have dreamed of.
Other Personal Development Programs may work…temporarily, but they never last because they get you to depend on the person teaching the program.
In John’s gospel Jesus said that He chose you and appointed you that you may bear fruit (in other words, be successful in His purpose for you) and that your fruit would remain.
Whether you realize it or not, as a Christian, you have been chosen and appointed to succeed in a purpose that was designed just for you.
If that is true, why aren’t you succeeding in this purpose? That a great question, isn’t it? I’m glad you asked!
Many scriptures allude to the fact that even though we are in the world, but we are not supposed to be of the world. But what does that mean? AS I already mentioned, the Apostle Paul said it best when he said, “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2) All of us, no matter how mature our Christian walk, conform to the world we live in much more than we realize. This is our biggest problem. You cannot become all that God has called you to be by conforming to the world and operating by its processes.
The answer is to be transformed. But how, and renew yourself to what? That’s why you need a Personal Development Program based on God’s plan for you. That’s why this program is called Transformers.
Here is my revelation for you; I call it TJ 1:1.
Don’t just go along with the way things are but become all that God created you to be. Think creatively about the gift He put inside of you. Develop and employ your gift to be the best you. You are part of something bigger than yourself, where each person’s gift is needed. This is how you are to fulfill His commandment to love one another as He loves you.
In case you are wondering, no, I have not totally conformed my life either, so we’re on this journey together. Buy I find it really comforting that I’m not alone. My paraphrase of something else Paul said 2000 years ago is,
“Even though I haven’t got this perfect yet, there is only one thing that I do; forgetting all my past failures and even my past successes, and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on to the goal of that AWESOME prize the Father has for me of being completely transformed into what He created me to be.”
Well, that’s it for this episode.
Please stay tuned as we continue our journey of transformation. My hope for you is that the love of the Father, the grace of Jesus, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with ya’ll until we meet again.
