What happens when: you transform

Recently one of my little cousins got baptized into Christ. I could not be more ecstatic for her life as a child of God, her experiences when she realizes that, yes, the Holy Spirit lives within her, and leads her. It is going to be a learning experience for sure, but I can't help but feel that it is a tight rope that not only her, but all new Christians walk. Do the people around her understand discipleship? Do they know how to guide her along the way effectively? Can they help her transform?

Transformation takes a lot of time, effort, concentration, and guidance. But when you see and feel transformation happen you understand how real it is. Transforming into Christ means a lot of life changes need to happen, staying the same doesn't cut it. So many times people get baptized and think, well I've reached the pinnacle of my spiritual walk. As most who read this know...this could not be more incorrect.

It's a scary mindset people can come into, these thoughts don't harbor Christian leaders. Last summer after returning to the states after the two months in Bosnia, me and three other people who had spent their summer in Spain came to one of the biggest churches in the U.S. Each of these countries are known to be slow to convert to Christianity and are very skeptical, sometimes resentful of Christianity, much less baptism. So as we sat in this huge church in Kentucky, we witnessed 200 people get baptized. This occurrence made me cry like someone had just ran over my puppy, the same happened with a few of the others. We had just experienced a summer where transformation was so hard to come by, yet when it happened it was so appreciated and nurtured by those who worked in those respective places for the Kingdom.

I wondered if each of those 200 knew what they were doing

So what happens when you transform? What happens when you're seasoned in your Christian walk yet you realize you still need transforming? I can only speak from my own experience of transforming, each transformation is unique but serves the same purpose. Mine, however, was like a slow moving roller coaster. I got baptized, understood somewhat of the implications of it, but now, I understand the implications exponentially better. Getting baptized at the age of 10 does take time to understand what it all means. A lot of my spiritual transformation started about the age of 16 when I realized that doing dumb things are just that...dumb.

You have to be willing to transform, otherwise you won't. Our God will not force you to transform, it is a choice, just like baptism. Oh and by the way transforming doesn't end until we stand in the complete glory of God. So our entire lives we are to strive to be better, transforming into the likeness of Christ. It's a beautiful thing this transformation.

All to God