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Personality Plus

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

2 Corinthians 3:18

In the world of psychology, one definition of “personality” is the total physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics of an individual. When a child is born, their personality is not yet completely revealed to their parents. A parent gets to know the child's personality over time through body language, smiles, actions, words, and how the child responds to situations in life. The child becomes more fully known as the parent has the chance to connect in relationship.

What is so amazing about becoming a believer in Jesus Christ is that we not only have the personality we were born with but we are also being transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Over time, our personalities begin to reflect Jesus' personality. As we express his characteristics in our lives, we reflect the righteousness of God. We have personality plus!

How does this happen? The Spirit of God begins to work inside us the minute we believe in Jesus as our Savior. Our eyes are opened to more of God’s glory. Our mouths learn to speak his words. Our minds begin to take on the characteristics of Christ. Our personalities now have the “plus factor” because we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Think of Jesus' disciples for a moment. Each had a unique personality when Jesus called them. Peter was a natural leader with brash and unpredictable moments. Andrew was a committed learner and humble inviter. Thomas was direct and could be skeptical at moments. John was trustworthy and true. Matthew was observant and quick to obey. The list could go on and on. The natural personalities of the disciples are easily seen in the gospel accounts, but when you take a step back and look at the larger story, these same disciples were radically transformed because of their time with Jesus and the filling of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts chapter four, this transformation was clear to everyone, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). They were the same men, but they were not the same. They had been transformed- and others took note!

Martin Luther, a German theologian and reformer, wrote about the transformational process that takes place in the life of each believer. He said,

“This life, therefore, is not righteousness but growth in righteousness, not health but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise; we are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it; the process is not yet finished, but it is going on; this is not the end, but it is the road; all does not yet gleam with glory, but all is being purified."

The Spirit of God provides the power for these changes to take place, but we must also be actively involved. In this daily walk, we must prioritize times of abiding with the Lord. We must spend time in his presence and in his Word. We must fix our eyes on Jesus. We will not hear his voice if we do not set aside time to listen.

As we hear from the Lord, we must respond with faith and obedience. Pastor James Kennedy once said, “You cannot say, ‘No, Lord,’ and mean both words; one annuls the other. If you say no to Him, then He is not your Lord.”

Does that sound harsh? It may sound harsh, but it is true. The answer to the Lord should always be “Yes, Lord!”

God’s goal for our lives is that we become more and more like Jesus each day. We should stand out in the crowd. God wants us to live a fulfilled and abundant life. Because of our faith in Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, we might say we have Personality Plus!!

Reflection:

How has the Lord transformed your life over the last year?

Has your recent journey been one of spiritual growth or one of spiritual atrophy?