When You've Outgrown an Old Version of Yourself

When God is transforming you, the old version of yourself stops fitting. In this episode, discover why the disorientation of spiritual growth is normal, and why Romans 12:2 frames transformation as a process worth trusting.Shannon Jacobs had spent most of her life chasing the feeling that she had finally made it. She poured herself into academics and social standing, always wanting to be recognized. And no matter what she accomplished, there was an emptiness underneath all of it that she couldn't outrun.In her second year of college, she trusted Christ. And she had no idea how much was about to change.The change wasn't dramatic. It was gradual. Her priorities reordered. She started seeing people as people, where before she had seen them as competition. The drive to be recognized started to loosen its grip. Her closest friends noticed before she could put it into words.She later wrote that one of the most unexpected things about following Christ was realizing the self she'd spent years building had to give way to something she hadn't chosen for herself. That was disorienting. It was also, she said, the most freeing thing she'd ever experienced.Most of us who've been following Christ for a while have felt some version of this. You're not who you used to be, and the life you've been living doesn't quite fit anymore. Old habits are losing their grip. Some relationships feel strained in ways you can't fully explain. The version of you that's emerging doesn't match the version everyone around you has known.That in-between place is uncomfortable. And it's also exactly where God is working.Romans 12:2 calls this the renewing of your mind. Paul frames it as an ongoing process: let God transform you, present tense, something still happening. The Greek word he uses is metamorphoo, where we get metamorphosis. That's not a quick event. It's a complete restructuring from the inside out, and it takes time.This episode takes an close look at what that process actually feels like, why the disorientation is a sign the work is underway, and what it means to be patient with a transformation that God Himself is doing.BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:Why the discomfort of spiritual growth is normal and what it signals about what God is doing in youWhat Romans 12:2 reveals about the ongoing, gradual nature of transformation and why it doesn't feel clean while it's happeningOne practical way to name what God is changing in you and cooperate with the processThe disorientation of becoming someone new isn't something going wrong. It's God doing exactly what He promised.Share This Episode:https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/219Need Prayer? Leave me a voicemail:https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/voicemailWant to keep these devotions coming? Please consider supporting this podcast.https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/support/Rate and Reviewhttps://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/reviews/new/Connect with BartFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dailydevotionsforbusylivesWebsite: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.comFeeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.Mentioned in this episode:Join Our Private Facebook CommunityIf you're looking for a place to connect with other Daily Devotions listeners and pray for each other, I'd love for you to join our private Facebook community group. Come find us at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/group