Remember in Exodus 34 how Moses’ face shone when he came down from Mount Sinai? After spending many days with God being exposed to His glory, Moses’ face reflected that time by shining radiantly. Similarly, we as believers are changed as we contemplate God’s glory and live in relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit works to sanctify us to look more and more like Christ, and this is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it won’t end until we meet our Savior in heaven. 

It’s like our lives as global workers. We are trained to go into a new culture to learn its history, values, language, and religion or lack thereof. We meet people in our new culture and engage with them to observe how all those things play out in day-to-day life. Then we use what we’ve learned and observed to minister the Good News to our new culture. This adaptation is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it won’t end. We will never be native to our new culture. 

2 Corinthians 3:18 states that we are being transformed with “ever-increasing glory.” If my transformation is ever-increasing, then it must have no end. I will continue being sanctified until the day I die or Christ returns.  

So, in order to not think I have arrived in my faith journey, the Holy Spirit continually works in my life. During the frustrating days of cultural adaptation, God uses it to build patience and grace in me. On the days when I feel like a failure as a parent, the Spirit teaches me to love and pursue my children as my heavenly Father has loved and pursued me. And when my ministry doesn’t go the way I want, after all the energy and effort I pour into it, God gently reminds me that I’ve made my work an idol instead of leaving it in His hands. It’s painful to be transformed into the image of Christ, but I also find great comfort and love in realizing how much God cares for His glory to be revealed in me…ever-increasingly.