A television program that I enjoy watching has a segment called Ambush
Makeover. Two women are chosen to undergo 3 hours of pampering to update their
hair, makeup, and wardrobe. The change is often dramatic. When the women step
from behind a curtain, the audience gasps. Friends and family members sometimes
start to cry. After all of this, the person with the new look finally gets to
see herself. Some are so shocked that they keep looking in the mirror as if to
find proof that it’s really them.
As the women walk across the set to join their companions, the former
self becomes evident. Most do not know how to walk in their new shoes. Although
they look chic, their clumsy walk gives them away. Their transformation is
incomplete.
This is true in our Christian lives as well. God does the work in us to
give us a new start, but to walk in the way of the Lord (Deut. 11:22) requires time, effort, and lots of practice. If we just stand still
and smile, we can pass as being transformed. But the way we walk tells how far
along we are in living out that transformation. Being changed means giving up
our previous way of life and learning a new way to walk (Rom. 6:4).
A change in behavior begins with a change in the heart. (RBC)
