January 17, 2021 – Spiritual Arrhythmia Part 3
What are we becoming?
Our bodies are constantly changing. While certain cells in our teeth and eyes stay the same for a very long time, other cells divide and die every 8 to 15 years. We shared a science video earlier in the week that connects to this topic. It asks a common question “Does The Human Body Really Replace Itself Every 7 Years?” Take some time to watch the video.
So, we’re constantly changing. Even over 5 years, we might find new wrinkles, or a gray hair, or a little extra fat around our waist. But that only happens slowly, because we’re constantly evolving and changing.
While that’s an interesting topic, there are other changes going on in our lives. Because we’re changing physically, there’s no reason to believe we can’t be changing spiritually. As we grow up and get older, we therefore expect our brains to grow and change as we learn more.
We grow and change because of new things that we try and new people we meet. We learn and we come across new ideas. All of our experiences, the music we listen to, what we watch on television, they all help shape who we are.
That’s where we can ask a question: if we’re always changing, what are we changing into? What are we becoming?
That kind of change can happen spiritually also. A lot of people treat becoming Christian as a step in life. When you become a Christian, you get baptized, and then you’re done, right? That’s not exactly right though. The very notion involves transformation, which means changing.
Paul reminds us that we’re being transformed:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Just as our bodies and minds are changing, we should also be changing through the renewing of our spirit. This isn’t a one-time event.
At the beginning of his letter to the Philippians, Paul reminds them that they are in the middle of a process:
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:3-6 (NIV)
As we think about spiritual arrhythmia, there are things we might be doing, experiences we might be having that might have nudged us away from where we were trying to go. We might be walking toward God, or we might be slowly turning away.
Asking ourselves “what are we becoming” is a good way to check our direction, and see if we’re moving toward God or away.