Extreme Makeover: Spiritual Edition

Have you ever seen that show, Extreme Makeover? They had various versions of it- some actually involving people having plastic surgery, and going through drastic weight loss and exercise regimens in order to become ‘beautiful’, while another version had a nominated family receive their home being renovated in an extreme way.

I admit I used to watch the Home Edition regularly. I always felt so happy for the family that received the new home. One time it was a Deaf family, and that was really cool for us to watch together. I always felt so good for those families getting what they needed, and not having to do all the work themselves. A team of talented ‘experts’ came in and did it all for them. What a gift!!

Have you ever wished there was a ‘Spiritual Edition’ of that show, and that you could be chosen for it?

You would be the epitome of spiritual perfection without having to do any of the work. Experts would come in and somehow give you a makeover that would result in instant maturity in Christ. You’d just always ‘get it right’. You’d know the right things to say, you’d always avoid falling into sin, you’d pray the right way, quote scripture in context exactly when people needed to hear it…sounds good, right?

Too good to be true, perhaps?

The same is true for many of the recipients of the Home Makeover show, too.

What they don’t tell you when you get the new home is that your property taxes go up. You still have a mortgage, and the rate changes- at least one family’s doubled. Utility bills also go up because you still have to heat and cool your McMansion.

It isn’t a magic cure-all for the issues these families had before the show. Many of them were struggling financially before they appeared on tv, and that didn’t change afterward. They had issues a new house wasn’t going to fix. In one case it was physical abuse. In many cases their situation got worse- at least financially.

So maybe a Spiritual Edition wouldn’t be such a good idea after all.

Thankfully, our God is in the extreme transformation business, and not the extreme makeover business.

Let me wax eloquent for a moment about caterpillars and butterflies. I am sure we’ve all heard sermon illustrations about them. In the insect world, they probably hold the record for extreme transformation. You might know a little about the process, like I did, but it is really interesting.

Basically once the caterpillar enters the chrysalis, a slow transformation occurs. One that is unbelievable, unless you see the hand of God in it. The caterpillar actually undergoes DNA modification. According to an article I read, the caterpillar basically digests itself, and sleeping cells (similar to stem cells) are triggered, and turn the life inside the chrysalis into a butterfly. Which is a completely different insect than the one that went in.

This is not a painless process. Having parts digested cannot be comfortable. But it is a necessary process for the caterpillar to emerge changed. Not only will it look different afterward, it will behave differently too. Butterflies fly and live on nectar. Caterpillars walk everywhere and eat leaves.

Lots of changes. Lots of differences.

No one came along the caterpillar’s path one day and said: “Hey- you’d be much prettier if we changed you up a bit and gave you wings. Wouldn’t you like to fly? Let us make you what you’re supposed to be.” Actually, if you step in and try to help the butterfly emerge before it’s ready, you will kill it. It won’t be able to fully develop its wings. It won’t build up strength working through the process of emerging from the chrysalis.

God’s Word tells us that we are to be transformed by things we choose to do, not instantly made-over by others with no effort on our part.

Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.
Ephesians 4:20-32 tells us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind.
Colossians 3:10 tells us the new man we’ve put on is renewed in knowledge.

Are you seeing a pattern?

If we want to be transformed from our old ways, we need to first determine in our mind that we are going to change. Those verses in Ephesians give us a whole list of things to work through in order to be renewed. We have to change the way we think about literally everything.

We know it will take effort, because in Colossians, all those verses give us actions to perform in order for the new man we’ve put on to be renewed in knowledge. The chapter says that if we’ve been risen with Christ, then…
Colossians 3:
1- Seek those things which are above.
2- Set your affection on things above.
5- Mortify old behaviors
8- Put off old sins
12- Put on new behaviors and characteristics
15- Let the peace of God rule
16- Let the word of Christ dwell richly
17- Do everything in the name of Jesus

These are things that will cause true transformation in the life of a believer. It has to come from the inside, from the Spirit of God, over time. No ‘insta-perfect’ here. It’s a daily, conscious decision to change the way I think, and therefore the way I behave.

No one can make these changes to us or for us. When we struggle through making these changes, we become stronger. We see and understand how God is working in our life and circumstances, and it allows us to keep going. It’s a beautiful thing to walk with God through difficulty. When we’re on the other side of it, we are more beautiful and stronger. We have a better perspective on who we used to be, and why we need to keep moving forward toward Christ.

As we work on transformation, we ought to see lots of changes, and lots of differences. And we should be completely different than when we started. No matter where we are in our journey of faith, we ought to be able to track progress, and see growth. And many times it may seem unbelievable, unless you can see the hand of God in it. People who used to know you won’t believe you’re the same person. What an open door to talk about the goodness of God in your life!

Transformation is certainly not easy, but it is definitely worth the effort.