Reformed by Love: Seeing Life Through God’s Perfect Lens

"Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes.” — Romans 12:2, The People’s Translation

The Word That Stopped Me: Reformation

The word reformation has been echoing in my heart this week. Not just as a concept of change, but as a deep, inward renewal—a total restructuring of my thinking by the Spirit of God.

When Paul wrote about being “inwardly transformed,” he wasn’t talking about striving harder or performing better. He was describing what happens when our inner world begins to mirror the Kingdom of Heaven rather than the culture around us.

Wrestling with the Old and the New

These past few days, I’ve felt the pull between peace and doubt, between resting in God’s promises and focusing too much on my circumstances. When I view life through a fixed, fearful lens, heartache follows. Yet when I remember that He has already established my steps, peace returns.

But sometimes—even in that peace—there’s still a quiet ache, a longing to fully trust that I am safe inside His love. And perhaps that longing is the very place where reformation begins.

A Moment of Sitting with Him

In those moments, when I finally stop and listen, I feel His Spirit draw me close. It often sounds like this…

The Call

I feel the pull

between the old and the new,

the past and the present—where I come and sit with You.

You call me here often,

over and over,

Your grace soothing this space inside my heart,

where I hear the call to rest in Your presence,

to be completely overcome

by Your satisfying perfection.

When I sit and close my eyes,

I see You—and the reflection of Your perfect peace transforms me once again.

My mind, when set upon You,

finds comfort the world cannot give.

So I surrender—my mind, my heart, my will—to You.

Reform me from within

that I may know Your love more deeply,

and find myself returning

over and over each day

to be seen, known,

and filled again

by this empowering Spirit of truth.

I love Your ways, O Lord.

Make me like a bird

who delights to glide

upon the swift winds of Your grace.

A Poem of Reformation by Shel Dammann

Through His Eyes

When I rise from that quiet place, I sense the shift. My thoughts are lighter. My heart feels known. I begin to see myself and my life not through the world’s eyes—but through His.

And through His eyes, everything looks different.

The striving softens.

The shame dissolves.

The beauty of grace takes center stage.

That’s the miracle of reformation: God transforms the way we think, which transforms the way we see.

Lord, reform my thinking by Your Spirit. When my thoughts wander into fear or self-reliance, bring me back to Your truth and love. Let me see myself and my life through Your eyes—beautiful, satisfying, and made perfect in Your grace. Amen.

An Invitation to Reformation

If this message resonates with you—if you’ve felt the tug between old thinking and new life—maybe God is inviting you into your own season of reformation.

Christian coaching is one of the ways I help others step into that journey: to slow down, to hear His voice, and to discover the beauty of a mind reformed by His truth.

If you’re ready to explore what God’s renewal might look like in your story, I’d love to walk beside you.

You can learn more about Christian coaching through Rhythms of Grace http://www.rhythmsofgracelife.coach