Transformed

Bible Reading: 2 CORINTHIANS 3:13-18

“Banke, is there something on our faces?” Dad asked over dinner. “You’ve been staring at your mom and me since we left church!”

Lanre, Banke’s younger brother, smirked. “I told you she was weird.”

“Sorry,” Banke said with a smile. “I’ve been thinking about something Pastor Yemi said during our youth service today.”

“Do tell,” Mom said as she spooned beef stew over her jollof rice.

“He said that people who’ve been married for a while tend to start looking alike because of all the time they spend together,” Banke said. “Only I don’t think he and his wife look all that similar. So I wondered if maybe you would since you’ve been married longer.”

“And what’s your verdict?” Dad asked.

“I think Banke looks like her phone because she’s always using it,” said Lanre.

“Lanre!” Mom scolded. “Before you answer that, Banke, would you say that your dad and I act alike?”

“Yes!” Banke replied. “I was just thinking that you two don’t look very much alike either, but I can always expect you to do or say the same things.”

“Like telling us to clean our rooms and do our homework,” Lanre put in helpfully.

“That’s right,” Dad said. “You mom and I are pretty much on the same page these days, but that wasn’t always the case.”

“Really?” Banke asked in surprise.

“Really. It took us getting to know one another better and building a life together to bring us to a point where you now think we act alike.”

“It reminds me of our memory verse from last month,” Mom added. “The one that says we are transformed into God’s image as we behold His glory. When we realize who Jesus is and what He’s done to save us, it changes us. Our identity becomes linked to Him, and we’re able to build our lives on what He wants for us instead of our own desires. Just as married people start looking or acting alike, we start looking and acting more like Jesus as we get to know Him better and realize how much He loves us.”

“Just like how Pastor Yemi and his wife like the same songs and often talk about the same things,” Banke said. “His message makes more sense to me now!” REMI OYEDELE

How About You?

Have you noticed ways in which you look and act more like Jesus? As we get to know Him better, He transforms us and puts His desires into our hearts. And just like you may notice married couples who look or act more like each other over time, other people can see how we begin to mirror Jesus more and more. His love will change your life.

Today’s Key Verse:
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. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Jesus transforms us