My morning walks are becoming more colorful as we move farther into autumn. The trees, which in the summer were a fairly uniform green, are changing before my eyes, their inner beauty coming out. Each is unique. Some are orange, others yellow or red, still others a mixture of purple or pink.
The amazing thing is those colors were there all the time, hidden away. It took a change in the seasons, a blast of cold air, to bring out their inner beauty. The leaves actually had to die, before they could be transformed.
The Bible says your beauty, “should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (1 Peter 3:4 NIV). Each of us is unique, created by God with specially designed attributes which He has given us to bless others and bring beauty into the world around us.
However, for these gifts to have the impact they were intended for, a transformation must take place. The Bible says, “we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
This transformation is not an easy one. God, in His mercy, sends trials our way to speed the process. Paul warned of this in 1 Corinthians 5:12. He said, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”
Just as the leaves must endure the cold and even die for their beauty to be revealed, so we must endure hardship and fiery trials, even dying to self, if we are to be transformed into the image of Christ, so His beauty can shine through us.
Today, as you enjoy the beauty of the autumn leaves, ask God to work a transformation in your life too. This will mean facing some difficulties and hardships along the way, but in the end it will be worth it all, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Autumn is a time for change. Ask God to change you too, that others may see His beauty through you.