You don’t have to be a biblical scholar or preacher in order to have the Bible speak to you.
Phew! That’s great news, because I’m neither!
And chances are, neither are you. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want God to speak to us, and we don’t want to experience personal transformation in our heart and soul.
What’s so amazing and incredible about the nature of God is that He desires to know us, to be in relationship with us, and to transform us through his son, Jesus Christ.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
That’s what we want!
But let’s be honest, sometimes we don’t really feel like we’ve been transformed, even after accepting Christ into our hearts or even after being a Christian for many years. And let me tell you, the length of time you’ve been a Christian does not determine your level of spiritual maturity. It’s a process, and one that you need to be actively engaged and involved in.
So HOW can we experience these things? How can we experience the transformation process that the Bible talks about?
I was reading my Bible last night, reading about the life of King David. I know he was not always a king, so I wanted to learn more about his history and how he lived in order to be considered as a ‘man after God’s own heart’ (see 1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:16-41).
And as I was reading I kept coming across scenarios and situations in the text that I felt God speaking to my heart about. It was so fascinating to me that while I was initially desiring to read about the life of David, purely to know more about how he grew up and how it came to pass for him to become King. But there were side stories and comments in the text that were actually speaking to my heart about completely different issues.
And that’s when it hit me.
God, in His infinite wisdom and power, can reach you in any way He likes.
It may be through a person, something you read, something you see on tv, a comment someone makes to you, a dream — it’s endless. But in your heart and soul, you know you’ve been given a message and you know that it’s God trying to speak to you and get a message through. It’s hard to explain, but you just have an innate knowing that that message was for you. And that’s what happened last night when God gave me these ‘4 Steps to Transformation.’
So regardless of what your needs are, and what your questions and desires to learn and grow may be, simply start with reading the Bible. Start anywhere. And through that, God will begin to show you, speak to your heart, and guide you where to look next.
The Bible is the living, breathing, active and life-giving inspired word of God.
And what’s so incredible about this book is that God uses it to speak directly to you, more than just what’s written on the pages. It’s a key to your heart and an open channel of communicating with God — your Creator. The one who has loved you before the beginning of time and ‘knit you together in your mother’s womb’ (Psalm 139:14)
So here are the 4 steps He revealed to me last night:
I. Acknowledge
Acknowledge that God is God, and we are not. That His ways are above our ways and there are things we cannot fully comprehend (Isaiah 55:8-9). That is why we require faith. Hebrews 11.
II. Receive
Open your heart and mind to actually receive communication, connection, love and forgiveness. So often we feel unworthy of the good things in life that God wants to give us, because we don’t feel we’ve measured up or we are lacking the faith to believe that a holy God could actually love us as we are. But until we open ourselves to receive His blessings (grace, love, mercy, joy, abundance, forgiveness etc.) we actually hold ourselves back from it. Matthew 7:8, Matthew 10:8, Matthew 21:22, Mark 10:15.
III. Repent
Which is why we need to repent (ask for forgiveness). Even for the things we didn’t realize we needed to repent from. But when God places it upon your heart, or you have a new awakening and understanding of something that requires your repentance, you must humble yourself and ask. Yes, we have to ask for forgiveness. God knows all, sees all, and knows our hearts, but He still wants us to acknowledge Him and enter into a relationship where we are recognizing our need for Him and voicing our desire to be with Him.
It is when we humble ourselves before Him, ask for forgiveness of our wrongdoings or whatever else He has revealed to you, that He sees if our heart and motives are pure. If they are, He then forgives us and washes us white as snow. That means He remembers our transgressions no more! So when He looks at us, He no longer sees our sins, He sees His perfect son in our place — Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:7, 2 Cor. 5:17, 1 John 1:9, Acts 3:19, Eph. 4:31-32, Matthew 6:14-15, Colossians 3:13.
IV. Act
The final step of the transformation process is not complete until we ACT upon what we’ve learned. The actions we take would flow from what it is we’ve just learned or been shown. How would you act after you’ve just had the realization that whatever sins or transgressions you’ve repented of are now COMPLETELY FORGIVEN? What types of actions would flow from that place? Love. Grace. Mercy. Happiness. Delight. Servitude. The list goes on. But if you keep your new revelations and peace to yourself, how can it help and serve others? They need to know what you’ve just experienced.
Just as God had revealed things to you in your heart while you were reading His Word, He will do the same for anyone you share it with! As I said before, His Word, the Bible, is the living and breathing, active word of God. Simply by opening it and beginning to read. Be curious, ask questions, find answers, seek counsel. You will begin a deeper path of knowledge, understanding, wisdom and spiritual maturity that your transformation requires of you. Isaiah 55, James 1:22-26
For further reading, here’s another great article on How to Act on God’s Word.
I hope these simple 4 steps have helped you to step further into the transformation you’re seeking and desiring in your life.
We serve an amazing God, and the best way to truly experience the freedom and peace He offers us, after receiving His son Jesus Christ into our hearts, is to be an active participant in learning and growing. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’ve been a Christian for many years, yet are still finding areas you need to grow, expand and mature.
Life is an incredible journey that doesn’t end when we die — it actually gets better as we move into eternal life with God in Heaven! But God understands our spiritual maturity is a process, and desires to have us be a part of His divine plan for our lives and in the world.
Blessings to you,
~Dr. Melody
P.S. Would love to connect further with you on social media and/or via email. Feel free to contact me with any questions or prayer requests. Comment below, or message me through Facebook, Instagram or email me @ melody@fitplusfaith.com
P.P.S. Here are some other articles I’ve written that might also help you on this topic:
When God is at work and you feel CRAZY! (You’re not alone)
When Lack of Gratitude is stealing your Joy — and how to get it back!
God is working all around us — 3 questions to ask if it seems like He’s not there
This weekend I had an incredible lesson in following your dreams and the tuggings of your heart. The things that will never leave you no matter how much time goes by — because God put them there! Lessons in Faith!
Now this doesn’t mean take it for granted and ‘one day’ do something about it. What it means is that if the calling isn’t going away, instead of running in fear of it, follow your heart and take the NEXT STEP. That’s all you’re responsible for! God will do the rest and lead you on your step after that.
So in my case, the calling had always been to pursue something in the entertainment industry, either with singing or modeling, and two different times when I was younger I had been in contact with modeling agencies. But for various reasons it wasn’t the right timing.
As I grew, I was always comfortable performing or being on stage, singing, dancing, speaking etc. Despite some nerves here and there, it always felt very natural and I was good at it!
Enter adulthood: Pursuing my education to the doctorate level, opening my own businesses and speaking locally. I even hosted my own Health&Hope women’s 1-day event.
But the call to the bigger stage and greater influence has always been beneath it all.
Finally, a month or two ago, I could resist the urge no longer. I knew that I had to ‘scratch the itch’ or it would never be satisfied. I looked into Christian singing auditions and came upon a local audition in Pasadena (about 2 hours north of San Diego) for Actors, Models and Talent for Christ (AMTC). This was it!! This was my opportunity to at least follow that tug, no matter the outcome. I signed up to audition and the picture below was taken this past Saturday.
What was so interesting about the whole experience, was that the second I got past my ‘jitters’ and nervousness and pushed the CONFIRM button to secure my spot online, I was filled with instant peace. I literally had no nervousness or anxiety leading up to, or on the day of the event!!
I knew God was in control at this point, and I just had to be obedient. And because I was following what I felt was a call from Him, not driven by selfish desires or greed or pride, I felt completely at ease ever since.
So the day of the audition comes, and you can see I’m #537 that day, and auditioned in front of at least 500 people in my grouping, and I’m estimating there were at least 2000 people auditioning that day.
As it turns out, I was FIRST in my grouping of people to audition, and THEN the nerves set in that I had a hard time controlling. That being said, they had me read a part (which I wasn’t prepared to do any ‘acting’) and then sing what I had prepared. By the time I went to sing, I couldn’t control my nervous system and wasn’t able to be as strong in my vocal control as I had practiced, so I wasn’t proud of the performance. ‘Oh well!’ I thought., ‘At least I did it and that’s all that matters.’
I was told you would either receive a call-back the following day between 9am-3pm or a ‘thanks but no thanks’ email.
The day goes by and my husband and I enjoyed a beautiful day by the ocean with friends. I tried not to be anxious as I awaited the call or the email. Finally at around 1pm we decided to start driving home toward San Diego. I’m feeling at ease that I hadn’t received a call because I knew it didn’t go as well as I had wanted.
‘No harm done. Maybe I was to do this just to encourage others to follow their dreams, regardless of the outcome. If that’s the case, it was still worth it.’
Then at 2:18pm I got the call!! They welcomed me back to be in 3 different categories: acting, singing and modeling. I have until the end of February to make my decision if I want to move forward, but the moral of the story is, that if God is in it, it doesn’t matter how you ‘perform.’ God’s favor will be upon you beyond your understanding or comprehension.
I hope this encourages and inspires you. You will have the PEACE in your heart that you desire, when you finally say YES to God’s call. Let Him be in control, as He is so much bigger and more capable to fulfill your dreams than you ever can be on your own. 🙂
Your sister in Christ,
~Dr. Melody
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You are SO MUCH MORE than a number on a scale. It’s time to take an integrative approach.
One of the biggest reasons I see women fail in their weight loss or health efforts is by being too narrow minded in their approach. When you focus on losing weight or trying to be healthier and deal with nutrition and exercise alone, it yields only temporary results.
Understanding that to really CHANGE such a large part of ourselves must be dealt with an integrative approach. Being willing to make changes not only in the physical body, but more importantly in your mind, your thoughts, your emotions and your relationship with God.
“Jesus answered, “For it is written: ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4
If we begin examining ‘every word’ of God and use that as our compass for righteous and healthy living and allow it to permeate every part of our being, there is NO WAY we can exclude or single-out our health and physical body as just “one area” to make a change.
You must be using a whole mind + body approach for ultimate success.
I encourage you today to do some self-examination. Have you been treating your health or weight loss as a separate entity, separate from all the other areas of your life? Do you see how this is a flawed approach and will only warrant short term or partial results?
>> I encourage you to pray and journal and ask God how you can begin making changes not just in your physical body, but emotional, spiritual, mental and relational as well. For we are an amazingly integrated creation which deserves an equally integrative approach to health.
Your sister in Christ,
~Dr. Melody
P.S. Coming Soon: Starting Feb. 6, 2017 we will begin the 3rd round of my most integrative and comprehensive body + mind transformation program: BeautifulYOU.
Where changing your body STARTS with changing your mind. Unlocking awareness and layers of ourselves that have been causing our lack of long-term success in weight loss and health transformation in the past.
I am over-the-moon EXCITED to help and lead you on your journey. This program is truly one-of-a-kind. More details to come. Stay tuned!
