Sons - I Am Transformed: 40 Days to Unleash the Power of Your God-Given Identity

HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED pets and their owners who look way too much alike? Like, its borderline creepy? Or married couples who over the years have begun to look more and more the same? Or friend groups who dress, talk, and even laugh alike, even though theyd all probably deny it?

Its not a bad thing to look like someone you love or admire. In fact, its human nature.

We do the same thing with God, actually. The more time we spend with him, the more we live like him and love like him. The goal of this forty-day devotional experience is based on that idea. Each day, well look at a unique truth about God and a corresponding truth about ourselves.

That order is important: first God, then us. Too often we get this backward. We think we must take the lead and let God do his work in our wake. We believe its up to us to impress God, convince God, or even manipulate God by polishing our lives to perfection.

Really, we just need to reflect God.

We were created in his image, after all. Its only natural that we should resemble him. The more we understand who he is, the more his image begins to shine in us, and the more we become like him in our day-to-day lives. We start by looking at him, and we end up looking like him as we surrender and let his goodness and greatness transform us from the inside out.

Remember, God already loves us. Hes our Father, our friend, our Lord, and our biggest fan. Our relationship with him is not in danger. Hes not stressing out about our accomplishments or our maturity level or our marital status or our career progress or any of the other things that so often puncture our self-esteem. Instead, he is inviting us to follow him, to learn from him, and to become like him.

Again, thats the heart behind this interactive devotional, which consists of forty short entries loosely organized under what we call our I Am Covenant. You might want to read through the devotional over forty days or you might prefer to cover one section per week for seven weeks, whichever works best for you. Each devotional is broken up into these four sections.

REST

Before you jump in to the main part of the devotional, we encourage you to take two full minutes (or more) to settle your mind and emotions. This might be harder than you expect. Its a lot easier to keep your mind busy than it is to keep it calm. But calm is what you need.

Consider setting a timer so you dont rush too quickly through this section. Take a moment to read the introductory text, then simply breathe. Pay attention to what you are feeling. Maybe God wants to speak into some of those areas today. If so, thats his role. Yours is to trust, to rest, to wait, to obey.

Once your thoughts and heart are settled, move on to the Read portion.

READ

In this section we look at two things: a quality or trait of God and a parallel application in our own lives. We look at who God is and how his nature is reflected in us.

The goal of this section isnt to be overly complicated, but its not intended to offer clich or superficial answers either. We will look at questions we all face, and we will ask what Gods nature and image mean for us on an intensely practical level.

The truths we examine are all based on Scripture, and weve included references within the text. If youd like to dive deeper into any topic, there are also two or three passages for additional thought included at the end of each reading.

REFLECT

Each devotional includes three questions to help you reflect on and apply what youve just read. These are completely personal, so theres no answer key. They are simply starting points for self-evaluation.

If you are reading this devotional on your own, you might want to write the answers in this book or in a separate journal. If you are reading this with a group and would prefer to discuss them aloud, these questions can lead to deep, healthy conversations.

RESPOND

Weve left space at the end of each devotional for hands-on interaction with the topic. Whether you consider yourself artistic or not, we invite you to take a few moments to express what youre feeling in some creative, personal way.

That might be through poetry, an outline, brainstorming, a sketch, song lyrics, abstract art, doodles, a metaphor, creative writing, or anything else that fits who you are and how you think.

Have fun with this section! It is yours to do with as you please, to express yourself freely. It just might become your favorite part of the day.

And... thats it! Youre ready to begin.