Allowing God to Cultivate Hope and Transformation Through Us

Hope and transformation are precious words. Without them life is bleak and despairing. But with them life is inspiring and full of energy as people begin to imagine a new future and then work towards it.

More than that, hope and transformation reflect the very heart of God. He brings hope to people in the most desperate situations and he continues to work in the people he has made, repairing and fashioning them for the good he desires. God, in his grace, does not throw us away, but lovingly works in us to bring about good change.

Hope and transformation work together. God has given us new birth into a living hope through Jesus’ resurrection, a hope which cannot disappoint or fail (1 Pet 1:3). This hope is a hope of transformation… of being renewed people in a renewed world and seeing Jesus face-to-face (1 Pet 1:7-8; Phil 3:21). The good news is that this transformation has already begun. Paul says, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Cor 3:18) – transformed into Jesus’ likeness no less! That is why Peter is keen that the church he is writing to, despite its suffering, plays its part in bringing God’s hope and transformation to the wider world (1 Pet 2:9-12).

The English word metamorphosis comes directly from the Greek word for transformation. When we hear this word, most of us probably think of the process by which a caterpillar becomes butterfly. Once fully grown, the caterpillar hangs upside down and sheds its skin to form a hard protective casing called a chrysalis. Inside, the caterpillar is being transformed to become a stunning butterfly.

This is a helpful picture for how God transforms us. Transformation is a work of God, but we are called to cooperate with him to cultivate it. It often comes through a painful process, like being in a chrysalis, of being turned upside down and shedding a skin, but recognising that God is working for our good and so allowing him to complete the job.

As we actively allow God to transform us, we can become part of his work of cultivating hope and transformation in others. Here is the good news: we don’t have to wait until God has completed his transformation in us before we can begin to cultivate hope and transformation for others. On the contrary, as people see the process unfold in us, observing both our struggles and God’s grace in action, the hope of transformation will be kindled in them. Through humility and gentleness, we will be able to point to the God who brings change to what is seemingly impossible.

It is as we allow God to turn us upside down that, like an upside-down cake, his glory and goodness are displayed to us and others. The challenge for us is this: Are we willing to be turned upside down for others? Who is God wanting you to reach out to? And what might that look like for you?