Change Clothes and Go

Andrea, a young woman from ‘round the way, looked at me and said, “You look like you live what you believe.” I told her that I tried but it was still a struggle. She continued, “You don’t look like you’ve ever done anything wrong in your entire life.” Uh-oh, I knew where she was going with this and girded up.

“I want to step it up and do things better. Can you help?”

I told her, ‘I’m not sure if I can help. Tell me what you want from me?’

“Tell me what you did,” she asked.

Initially, I thought Andrea wanted to put me on a pedestal—render me to some unobtainable level of perfection. The conversation, however, revealed that she was more interested in the Christian lifestyle. So, I gave her my testimony of being delivered from myself. I said, ‘That thing you see on me is called “redemption.” I’ve been redeemed.’

Knowing Andrea was taking courses to further her education, I asked, ‘When you get your degree, how do you expect to behave? Will you still roll the same way?’ She said, “I’m not sure.” So, I asked, ‘What could happen if you stayed the same?’ The light bulb came on.

In order for Andrea to step it up, she would have to “change clothes and go.” She would have to submit to transformation on all levels; let go of the useless things from the past and walk the new walk. She would have to be transformed even if it costs her friendships or she could easily risk losing what she’s worked so hard to gain. More so, if she insisted on dressing up for the old part, she’d look out of place—awkward—walking in the new role.

A transformed life is a redeemed life. You will not look, act, or sound the same; nor should you. Transformation is both an internal and external process; as the person on the inside changes, the person on the outside changes. Transformation in Christ is a supernatural extreme makeover that removes every remnant of the past that God deems useless and unnecessary. The preferred effect is a transformed image that no longer reflects “from whence you’ve come” but rather how far you’ve come by faith in Jesus. The new person reflects the Glory of God.