Christian Living

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"Trans-," one of the most common prefixes in the English language, is used in words that signify change or movement from one thing or place or condition to another, and it has a lot of significant applications to the Christian walk. A "trans-word" that directly applies to what should happen to us during the true worship that our Father God and our Lord & Savior Jesus deserve is TRANSFIX.

God—you're my God! I can't get enough of you!
I've worked up such hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts. So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
drinking in your strength and glory. In your generous love I am really living at last! My lips brim praises like fountains. I bless you every time I take a breath; my arms wave like banners of praise to you. Psalm 63:1-4 MSG

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:5-8 NKJV

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” Mark 4:39-41 NKJV

"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration." John 4:23 MSG

To “transfix” means to 1) hold motionless as if struck with awe, amazement, terror; 2) pierce through; and 3) fasten with something that pierces.**

We should become transfixed on God’s handiwork – the sunrise, the sunset, the immeasurable variety of colors and shapes of plants and animals, the power of a thunderstorm and the serenity that follows, the assembly and function of the human mind and body, the miracle of birth, the immensity of space and the precise location of the earth in the universe – and gasp in sheer awe and utter amazement.

We should seek to be transfixed on Jesus. We should read about His miracles and study His words of wisdom and be unable to get them out of our minds. We should meditate on His sacrifice and let it pierce our hearts. We should fasten ourselves to Him as securely as He was fastened to the cross. We should stand in awe and amazement as we consider the unconditional, incalculable, incomparable love and mercy that would cause our Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowing God to give His Best to remove our worst.

But, sadly, all too often we don’t. We insist on simply giving our weekly or bi-weekly “nod to God” and then going on our way. We don’t have time, we’re too tired, too broke, too stressed, too this, and too that. We might smile or even shed a small tear at something "God-ish" and think “Oh, how nice,” and then the next day, the next hour or the next minute, we separate ourselves from Him again. Back to work, back to sleep, back to the kids, back to the chores, back to the rat-race, back to the drawing board, back to everything and everywhere but forward, deeper, closer, tighter in and to the life that Jesus paid for us to have (see John 10:10).

Sad. Very sad. We miss so many blessings when we’re transfixed on ourselves, our lives, our problems. We need to let go of ourselves and get over ourselves and latch onto our God with all of our heart (spirit), all of our soul (mind, will and emotions), all of our strength (time, money, possessions, skills, talents, and influence). (See Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27) We need to finally, finally, finally realize that He is the vine, the source and the supply (see John 15). Everything good comes from Him (see James 1:17). Becoming transfixed on Him is so much less for His benefit than for ours. It’s what He desires, and it’s the least – and the best – we can do.

**From Dictionary.Reference.com, the definition of “transfix,” available at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/transfix

~~Adapted from the author's website at http://www.seedwords.com/pages.asp?pageid=82007

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