Embracing Change: The Path to Spiritual Glory
Summary
Change is a challenging journey, but it is an essential part of our spiritual growth and development. As we navigate this path, we must remember that the difficulty of change is not a hindrance but a blessing. It is through this struggle that we construct our eternal character, a process that is both miraculous and demanding. Our habits and tendencies are deeply ingrained, forming the core of who we are. This is why change is hard, but it is also why it is meaningful. We are not merely building resumes or portfolios; we are crafting something eternal, something glorious.
Our beliefs, especially those at the core, are difficult to change because they are embedded in our bodies and minds. Yet, this is where the beauty of our personhood lies. We are not just products of our environment or heredity; we have the power to choose, to make moral decisions that shape our character. C.S. Lewis reminds us that every choice we make turns the central part of us into something different, either heavenly or hellish. This is the weight of our glory, the eternal project we are engaged in.
We must own our raw material—our bodies, our environment, our upbringing—and recognize that while it may be flawed, it is also uniquely ours. Our will, though limited, is crucial in making commitments and choices that align with God's vision for us. We are not victims of circumstance; we are agents of change, capable of shining with the splendor of the sun as children of God.
Moreover, our duty extends beyond ourselves. We must consider the glory and potential of those around us. Every interaction is an opportunity to help others move towards the splendor God intended for them. We live in a society of potential gods and goddesses, and it is our responsibility to treat each other with the awe and respect that this truth demands. There are no ordinary people; we are all immortals, destined for either everlasting splendor or horror.
In embracing our raw material, exercising our will, and recognizing the glory in ourselves and others, we fulfill our duty to God and each other. Change is hard, but it is worth it. It is the path to becoming the glorious beings God created us to be.
Key Takeaways:
1. Change is difficult but necessary for spiritual growth. It is through the struggle of change that we construct our eternal character, which is a miraculous and demanding process. Embrace the difficulty as it shapes who you are meant to be. [01:06]
2. Our core beliefs are deeply ingrained and challenging to change, but they form the foundation of our personhood. Recognize the power of choice in shaping your character and turning the central part of you into something heavenly. [06:09]
3. Own your raw material—your body, environment, and upbringing. While it may be flawed, it is uniquely yours, and your will is crucial in making choices that align with God's vision for you. You are not a victim; you are an agent of change. [07:17]
4. Consider the glory and potential of those around you. Every interaction is an opportunity to help others move towards the splendor God intended for them. Treat each person with the awe and respect that their potential demands. [10:17]
5. Embrace your duty to God and each other by recognizing the glory in yourself and others. Change is hard, but it is the path to becoming the glorious beings God created us to be. [11:56]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:41] - The Challenge of Change
- [01:21] - The Gift of Plasticity
- [02:27] - Understanding Core Beliefs
- [03:45] - Cooperating with God
- [03:59] - Raw Material and Will
- [05:43] - Moral Choices and Character
- [06:40] - Embracing Your Unique Story
- [07:28] - The Ultimate Project
- [08:12] - The Weight of Glory
- [09:03] - Duty to Our Neighbors
- [10:17] - Living Among Immortals
- [11:17] - Embracing Your Role
- [11:46] - Recognizing Others' Glory
- [11:56] - Moving Towards Splendor
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Romans 12:2 - "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."
2. 2 Corinthians 3:18 - "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
3. Philippians 2:12-13 - "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, why is change described as both miraculous and demanding? [01:06]
2. What does C.S. Lewis suggest about the impact of our choices on our eternal character? [06:09]
3. How does the sermon describe the role of our "raw material" in the process of change? [07:17]
4. What is the significance of recognizing the potential glory in others, as mentioned in the sermon? [10:17]
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Romans 12:2 relate to the idea of change being a challenging yet necessary journey for spiritual growth?
2. In what ways does 2 Corinthians 3:18 illustrate the concept of being transformed into something glorious?
3. How does Philippians 2:12-13 emphasize the balance between human effort and divine assistance in the process of change?
4. What does the sermon suggest about the importance of moral choices in shaping our character and destiny? [06:09]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent change you have experienced. How did you perceive the difficulty of this change as a blessing rather than a hindrance? [01:06]
2. Identify a core belief that you find challenging to change. What steps can you take to align this belief with God's vision for you? [06:09]
3. Consider your "raw material"—your body, environment, and upbringing. How can you embrace these aspects of yourself to become an agent of change? [07:17]
4. Think of someone in your life whose potential glory you might be overlooking. How can you treat them with the awe and respect that their potential demands? [10:17]
5. What is one specific way you can exercise your will to make a choice that aligns with God's purpose for you this week? [11:46]
6. How can you support someone else in their journey towards the splendor God intended for them? [11:56]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt like a victim of circumstance. How can you shift your perspective to see yourself as an agent of change? [11:30]
Devotional
Day 1: Embrace the Struggle of Change
Change is a challenging journey, but it is essential for spiritual growth and development. The difficulty of change is not a hindrance but a blessing, as it is through this struggle that we construct our eternal character. Our habits and tendencies are deeply ingrained, forming the core of who we are, which is why change is hard. However, it is also why it is meaningful. We are not merely building resumes or portfolios; we are crafting something eternal, something glorious. Embrace the difficulty as it shapes who you are meant to be. [01:06]
Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV): "To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
Reflection: Identify one area in your life where change feels particularly difficult. How can you invite God into this struggle to help you embrace the transformation process?
Day 2: The Power of Choice in Shaping Character
Our core beliefs are deeply ingrained and challenging to change, but they form the foundation of our personhood. Recognize the power of choice in shaping your character and turning the central part of you into something heavenly. Every choice you make turns the central part of you into something different, either heavenly or hellish. This is the weight of our glory, the eternal project we are engaged in. [06:09]
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (ESV): "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent decision you made. How did it shape your character, and what does it reveal about your core beliefs?
Day 3: Own Your Unique Story
Own your raw material—your body, environment, and upbringing. While it may be flawed, it is uniquely yours, and your will is crucial in making choices that align with God's vision for you. You are not a victim; you are an agent of change. Recognize that your will, though limited, is crucial in making commitments and choices that align with God's vision for you. [07:17]
Psalm 139:13-16 (ESV): "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth."
Reflection: What aspects of your life story do you struggle to accept? How can you begin to see them as unique gifts that God can use for His purposes?
Day 4: Recognize the Glory in Others
Consider the glory and potential of those around you. Every interaction is an opportunity to help others move towards the splendor God intended for them. Treat each person with the awe and respect that their potential demands. We live in a society of potential gods and goddesses, and it is our responsibility to treat each other with the awe and respect that this truth demands. [10:17]
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV): "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
Reflection: Think of someone you interact with regularly. How can you intentionally affirm their potential and treat them with the respect their God-given glory demands?
Day 5: Fulfill Your Duty to God and Others
Embrace your duty to God and each other by recognizing the glory in yourself and others. Change is hard, but it is the path to becoming the glorious beings God created us to be. In embracing our raw material, exercising our will, and recognizing the glory in ourselves and others, we fulfill our duty to God and each other. [11:56]
Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV): "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."
Reflection: How can you actively fulfill your duty to God and others today by recognizing and nurturing the glory within yourself and those around you?
Quotes
"Here's why it's a good thing you were a person, you know, and that's a sketch if you remember those old machines you can draw it and then you can just shake it and it's gone. Human beings have this quality that William James calls plasticity. We hear a lot about neuroplasticity in our day. The idea is something has plasticity if it's weak enough to yield to an influence but strong enough not to yield altogether." [00:01:21]
"It is persons who have the capacity to develop habits in our bodies and uh and that forms characters that's a glorious thing, and you're constructing one of those. That's the main thing you're doing, you're not mostly building a resume, you're not mostly building a portfolio, you are constructing something Eternal, that's your glory, um but that process is difficult and it's a good thing that it is otherwise you would not be the miracle that is a person." [00:02:27]
"The closer you get to those core beliefs and those core values the more difficult they are to change they become embedded in our bodies you know our habits and our ways of seeing and thinking and feeling and that's a good thing but it makes change hard and that's part of why I can't God can so I have to cooperate together with him on this." [00:03:45]
"Human beings judge one another by their external actions, God judges them by their moral choices. One in erotic who has a pathological horror of cats forces himself to pick up a cat for some good reason it's quite possible that in God's eyes they have shown more courage than a healthy person might have shown in winning the Red Cross." [00:04:16]
"Some of us who seem quite nice people that could be me, in fact have made so little use of a good heredity and a good upbringing that we are really worse than those whom we regard as fiends. Can we be quite certain that we should have behaved uh how of how we would have behaved if we'd been saddled by the psychological outfit and then the bad upbringing and then with the power say of Himmler." [00:05:03]
"Every time you make a choice, you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses into something a little different from what it was before, and taking your life as a whole with all your innumerable choices all your life long you are slowly turning this Central thing, either into a Heavenly creature or a hellish creature." [00:06:09]
"It's so tempting for me to think I wish I had somebody else's I wish I had their body, I'll look at my wife's ability to connect with people relationally and how they'll come back from talking with her and say man she's a force thinking I wish I had that kind of personality but I don't I'm just me, but then if I wasn't me I wouldn't be able to do the things that I'm able to do the world already has one Nancy it doesn't really mean any more of her." [00:06:40]
"The great lie of the evil one is to hide from us the ultimate project that we're about which is not our finances or our body or our career, uh, you are creating something eternal, and that is your glory I want to read a few words from one of Louis's most wonderful essay sermons and it's called the weight of Glory." [00:07:28]
"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to May one day be a creature which if you saw it now you would be strongly Tempted To Worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet if at all only in a nightmare." [00:09:03]
"All day long we are in some degree helping each other to one or other of these destinations, it is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and circumspection proper to them that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships all loves all play all politics There Are No Ordinary People." [00:10:17]
"You have been given raw material, this remarkable body your little kingdom your little story own it accept it embrace it be grateful for it with all of its flaws and pain, you have been given a will, you have choices to make you are not just a piece of Flotsam and Jetsam you are not a pawn you are not a victim, you're an agent you're a queen you're a king." [00:11:17]
"When you look at other people think about their Glory think about their Destiny think about their possibility what they might become, Let's help each other move towards the Splendor that God had in mind when he created us because change is coming today." [00:11:56]
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