2. The transformation of “me” will require intention and effort.

(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.) 

What about yourself do you wish was different or better?

How do you think God feels about your desires?

If God shares your desires for change, how do you think He would like to help you change?

How much effort do you think God expects you to make in your transformation?

What keeps, you from making an effort in your transformation?

What role does effort, (for example, spiritual practices and disciplines) play in your eternal future?

We sometimes think that all we need to do is say “yes” to God, and His Spirit will immediately and miraculously transform us. We might even have been told that effort on our part cheapens God’s gift by making it seem that we can earn it.

Clearly, the transformation of my broken self requires God’s grace and forgiveness, but it also needs my participation and effort. Admittedly, there are dangers to look out for in our efforts to be transformed: if we take too much responsibility for our transformation, we may either exhaust ourselves and give up or, alternatively, we may succeed and take unholy pride in our accomplishment.

However, the consequences for not taking enough responsibility for our transformation are perhaps more serious: we may fail to experience the great abundance that God desires for us. So, we cannot let our fear of potential danger keep us from participating and putting effort into the transformation our spiritual lives need.

The well-known addiction recovery program Alcoholics Anonymous provides a good example of how effort plus grace work together to bring about transformation. Consider their twelve steps: 1. “Admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.” 2. “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” 3. “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” 4. “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” (AA World Services Inc. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. AA World Services, Inc. Kindle Edition). The next eight steps describe the actions and effort that a participant takes.

The success of Alcoholics Anonymous is not a secret and the transformational approach that AA takes is also not a secret. The pages of Scripture and the story of salvation throughout millennia show us that when we combine our efforts with the grace and power of God’s Spirit, transformation does happen.