But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matt 6:33 (NIV)

Change in the Wind – Part 7

Go to  PART 1  |  PART 2  |  PART 3  |  PART 4  |  PART 5  |  PART 6

A few years ago, my husband and I had some really hard conversations about what we were doing with our lives and whether or not it was what we wanted. And we realised that a lot of what we were doing was no longer right for us. So, we changed direction. It wasn’t easy, and honestly, it's been painful. At times, we’ve questioned if we’ve done the right thing. We’ve made mistakes along the way – a TONNE of them. But we wanted to transform.

Just like the merchant did: he shed his identity as a trader to become a man who owned a priceless pearl.

He transformed.

The merchant still had the same skin, same blood and bones, but a fire ignited in his belly and he fanned it into flame until he was MORE himself than ever before.

Transformation is not a change that takes you further away from your original self; it takes you closer to who you really are. Jesus is always guiding us closer to himself, which in turn brings us closer to our true selves.

So, Jesse and I shed a few things that we were believing and doing and being, and we’ve been endeavouring to transform into who we’ve been created to be, and doing what we’ve been created to do.

It's a life-long practice.

It’s not easy. Change is challenging. But it's also one of the most natural things that we can go through. Change is everywhere – in nature, in our own bodies, in the seasons, in life, in death… change is part of the story, there’s no need to fear or resist it. We would do well to be like the merchant who recognised what was of ultimate value to him when he saw it, and then acted on that value. It's not change for change sake… There is no way Jesse and I would have “started over” in our thirties if we hadn’t been motived by a fire in our bellies and a tug on our spirits that we could not ignore.

At the end of the day, what is more important?

Reputation?
Security (can you really ever have that anyway?)?
Going with the flow?
Not making waves?
Doing what was expected of us?
Doing what people thought we should?
A bigger house?
A nicer car?
A prettier handbag?
A more gadgety gadget?
A safer life?
5-star holidays?

Or being truly and completely you; doing and being and living out what is of ultimate value to you.

The list above is lovely. I would like some (if not all) of those things. But the merchant tells me, Jesus tells me, that the pursuit of those things should never be at the expense of your own true self. When you seek God's Kingdom of light and love, healing and wholeness, grace and compassion, kindness and courage, mercy and truth… it brings you closer to the real you. The YOU that can love yourself and your neighbour equally, no matter what; and loves God with all you are and all that you do – the ugly, the bad and the good combined.

It’s the only Kingdom worth living for.

Take some time today to consider what your pearl is and whether or not you need to do some transforming of your own. We're right there with ya.

Grace and Peace,

Lizzy (and Jesse).
[vcex_image_grid columns=”3″ pagination=”false” thumbnail_link=”custom_link” link_title_tag=”true” custom_links_target=”_blank” overlay_style=”title-category-visible” columns_gap=”5″ img_hover_style=”fade-out” image_ids=”20934,20935,20937″ custom_links=”https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1239768002?pt=118656308&ct=blog%20footer&mt=8,https://www.pktfuel.com/dailyemail,https://www.pktfuel.com/support” img_height=”350″]