The Secret to Inside-Out Transformation
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” – Romans 12:2
In last week’s post, I shared my thoughts on why change is hard for many people. In short, although we desire the impact of positive change, we’re unwilling to take the necessary steps. Society urges us to choose the diet pill over the exercise plan and convinces us that it’s possible to become an overnight success story simply by posting a viral video.
There are a number of problems with this type of thinking. First of all, these processes aren’t repeatable for most people. You have about the same chance of winning the lottery as you do of becoming an overnight YouTube or TikTok sensation.
More importantly, unless you can change or develop something about yourself, your progress won’t last. Your outward context might be different, but you’ll have the same habits, beliefs, and personality traits that you had before. Over time, you’ll drift back toward your default settings rather than rising to your new occasion.
In other words, the main problem with our typical pursuit of change is that we try to change the wrong things. James Clear addresses the three levels of behavior change in Chapter Two of his best-selling book “Atomic Habits.” According to Clear, there are three different levels we can focus on when we’re trying to make life changes:
- Outcomes. This level is closest to the surface and, ultimately, the most ineffective. For example, if you desire to lose weight but don’t change anything about your diet or exercise habits, you won’t notice a difference.
- Processes. If you dig a little further below the surface, you’ll determine that you have to change your actions in order to change your results. You start counting calories or going for a couple of walks each week. If you want to grow closer to God, you set aside ten minutes each morning to pray or read your Bible. This is somewhat helpful, but there’s still a better way.
- Identity. The deepest level of behavior change involves changing the way you see yourself and the world around you. Instead of adopting new behaviors, you become the person you want to embody. You’re not just “on a diet,” you are “a person who values their physical health.”
Clear’s perspective is incredibly insightful and – I would argue – is reflected in Jesus’ words as well. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the wisdom Jesus shared in the “Sermon on the Mount.” From the counterintuitive promises in the Beatitudes to the repeated juxtaposition of statements beginning with the phrase, “You have heard it said,” followed by a rebuttal of, “But I tell you,” Jesus is not shifting the common understanding of what it means to be obedient to God, but he’s also teaching people that true change involves a transformation of a person’s heart and mind. In order to be different, you must learn how to think and feel differently. Addressing actions isn’t enough. Your work must go deeper.
Over the next several weeks, we’re going to dig deeper into Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount to learn how we can experience this type of inside-out transformation. My prayer is that we approach His words with an open mind, ready to have our preconceived notions challenged and willing to do the dirty work of adopting a fresh perspective on our lives and our roles as followers of Jesus.
“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” – Galatians 2:20a