Water to Wine

I had a very hearty conversation with my sister some days ago as we try to do every once in a while (when she decides to tie her phone to her hips long enough to see my calls) seeing we’re distance and time away from each other. Every time we talk, we get to share our current challenges, victories, lapses and everything in between, including throwing jabs at each other (my favourite part). But the most amazing thing about our conversations is how we end up better off than when we began; one of those iron sharpeneth iron moments.

This time we talked about our experiences in our walk of faith and the current challenges facing the Church as we have noticed. Somewhere along the lines of our conversation, we talked about how the ‘Christian Experience’ has somehow ‘trans-morphed’ into something completely different. In many ways than one, a lot of Christians have become more loyal to a creed, or doctrine, or dogma, or minister – more loyal to these than Jesus Christ. In many congregations today, more people have become slaves to manmade ideas than servants of the gospel. A lot of us are drawn more to the things we can receive than who we can become in Christ. Then she said something that just blew my mind to smithereens, and I’ll paraphrase:

Why was it recorded that Jesus’ first miraculous act was to transform water into wine? Because that’s the foundation of who He is: He came, He lived, He died and He rose all for our TRANSFORMATION!

You see, I think we both pride ourselves on being deep thinkers, but such statements are never as a result of just thinking deep. They come only by inspiration from the throne of God . . . and that thought was inspired. It inspired me to write this post. Now you can go back, read it again and take some time to think about it . . .

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So I ask you this question: If you say you are a Christian, are you being transformed by Christ?

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Jesus came to reconcile us to God. He came to set us free from the power of sin and death. He came for the salvation of our souls. He came to make us whole. The moment we stop chasing after the essence of why He came and become more interested in the side-servings of His coming, then we have so sadly missed the mark. These side-servings: miracles, wealth, health, influence and the likes of them will never, on their own, make us Christ-like if we have not allowed Him to transform our character – they will only end up corrupting us as we have so clearly seen in these days.

No matter how much sugar you add to water, it will never become wine!

As a lead-sheep among the flock of Christ, are you pointing the sheep in your fold to the Great Shepherd Jesus, or are you pointing them to follow you just because of how fluffy your wool is after the Shepherd had dressed you up? Do you tell them that they have access to the Shepherd just the way you do, and He can dress them up just the way He has dressed you? Or do you lie to them that they can never attain to your anointing because they’re not the chosen?

As a sheep in the fold of Christ, have you put Christ at your centre and all around you? Or have you placed another sheep before your face, blocking your view of your Saviour? Have you tied around your neck the burden of men and the load of their expectations instead of taking upon yourself the light yoke of Christ? Are you more interested in the doctrine of quick-fixes than in the transforming power of the Word that is Christ? Are you more interested in laying treasures for yourself on earth than in heaven?

Have we allowed grace to work in our lives that we become the light in the darkness of the world around us? Have we allowed grace to work in our lives that our weaknesses are transformed by the strength of His Spirit living in us? Have we allowed grace to work in our lives that we walk in the light of integrity and truth? Where our ‘yes’ is yes and our ‘no’ is no? Where love, justice, mercy and humility light our path each day as we walk in purity before the eyes of the One who is able to judge our souls? Where we forgive others just as He has forgiven us?

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Jesus first transformed water into wine. In essence, he made special what was just ordinary. That is what He wants to first do with you . . . will you let Him?