Exchanging Your Old Self for Transformation in Christ

There’s a small cardboard box nestled in one of my dresser drawers because I couldn’t stand to throw it away. Written on the box in blue crayon are the words, “Old Self Art.” Last June, my daughter, Grayson, gathered up a few of her favorite pieces and put them into the box to remember who she was before she “changed.”

You might be asking, “What was the big change?” We certainly were. When I asked Grayson what she meant by “Old Self Art,” she explained it very clearly. She had changed, she wasn’t who she used to be, and she was just fine with it.

What it boils down to is that Grayson, who turned nine this year, grew up. She made the leap from the little girl who loved pink, unicorns, and hairbows to an older girl who redecorated her room in blue, chopped off her long hair, and only likes unicorns a little bit. She also started choosing her own clothing—which has resulted in some interesting pattern combinations that I will leave to the reader’s imagination.

I love that my child felt safe telling us that she had become a new person with different interests. It takes courage to say, “I used to like that thing, but I don’t anymore.” Or even, “I used to believe that way, but I no longer do.” I’m glad Grayson felt that our family was a group of people to whom she could safely say she had grown up and was no longer a baby.

The more I watched this transformation unfold (it was hard to miss, as we were home all the time due to Covid-19 restrictions), the more I realized that this happens to all of us. Especially if we are Christ followers.

When I was a young Christian, I didn’t know much about the Word of God and was only beginning to learn about Jesus. I still held many of the beliefs of my youth. Thirteen years later, many of those beliefs and attitudes have changed. Someone who had only known my “old self” might be surprised at the new me.

I wonder if you might be able to think of a way that your “old self” is gone, too.

Paul wrote a letter to the church at Corinth wherein he encouraged them to see themselves and others as transformed. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (NIV)

The new believers were reconciled to Christ! Jesus had transformed who these people were. They were no longer bound by the law. They were to see themselves and each other as heavenly beings instead of earthly ones.

As I look back on my old self, I can see how Christ has changed me. I can also see where he is still working (bless my heart). Opinions I once held dear are long gone. My thoughts on raising children have been dismantled. The way I see others and what I value in friendships has dramatically shifted.

Christ in me looks a lot less like me, and I look a lot more like him.

This transformation isn’t easy. I have clung to opinions long after I should have. I have held grudges when I should have forgiven. In some cases, I have flat-out refused to change.

Have I told you I give Jesus indigestion? Transformation may sound easy, but it can be kind of painful. I can be kind of stubborn.

Transformation hurts. One visual that comes to mind is werewolves in the movies. When the full moon comes out, the human’s body begins to contort, and the man screams in pain as he changes into a howling wolf.

Our souls go through the same thing. Sometimes it’s gentle and easy. Sometimes we’re asked to let go of people, thoughts, or opinions that we hold dear. Saying goodbye to those things causes us pain and grief. Tears are often shed because the loss of who we once were hurts.

The pain of transformation is temporary, though. When we look back at our “old selves” and see the work Jesus was doing in us, we better understand how he is still working.

As I think about the conversation Grayson and I had about her summer of change, I wonder what it must have been like for these new believers to go home to their own families. Christianity wasn’t at all favorable, and believers were heavily persecuted. What courage it must have taken to share their transformation, the belief that they were new creations.

Early Christians held lots of beliefs and laws that were challenged when they accepted what Christ had done for them. Their entire way of living had to be unlearned. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he encouraged them to see themselves and each other the way Jesus already did. They were already saved! Their prior beliefs, actions, and laws had been reconciled with Christ. There was a new way.

Sometimes, I take a look inside the “Old Self Box” I keep in my heart. The memories of who I was before Jesus began transforming me. She was fun and funny and really, really broken. There are some good memories in there, but I also find some not-so-great stuff if I dig down to the bottom.

I know that, until heaven, I won’t have a full understanding of the transformation process. This continuous work that Jesus is doing in my heart is ongoing because I’m an imperfect human being. A work in progress.

As a fellow work in progress, how has Christ transformed you? What’s in your “Old Self Box?” What are you clinging to that needs to be tucked away?

Before submitting this piece, I read it to Grayson and asked her permission to share her story. We opened the box together and she remarked that she has grown as an artist since she put these drawings into the box. That the things she draws, and her coloring have improved. She was glad she moved into new things as an artist, so she could get better at her craft.

What a picture of how God grows us when we’re willing to let go of who we were, in order to allow him to transform us into his new creation.

Lord, transform our hearts. Give us strength to become your new creation. Fix our hearts on things that are of you and let the rest fall away. Amen.

Becky Yurisich is a full-time Army wife and mom, and an occasional teacher of first graders. She is an unapologetic follower of Jesus and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Becky holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from UNC, and dreams of writing a book. She blogs at beckyyurisich.com.