Molded Into Shape

M

y kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in my home.  It seems I am always in there for something.  Either I’m making myself a quick snack, cleaning out the dishwasher, pouring myself a drink, or talking on the phone.  No matter what time of day or night, it is just a given that I will be in the kitchen at some point, even if I have no real reason to be there.

             

On the wall above my kitchen windows hangs a series of gelatin molds that belonged to my grandmother.  There are five of these molds and I brought them back with from North Carolinaafter my Christmas visit home.  These molds hung together in a pattern on a prominent wall in my grandmother’s kitchen.  They had been there for years and after her death, I asked my mom if I could have them. 

I wasted no time in installing the molds in my apartment.  The spot over my stove proved to be the perfect place for them and, after several attempts, I succeeded in spacing them evenly and hanging them in a straight line. When I moved into my house, the molds came with me. My mom hung them in the kitchen and they are the first things I notice when I head for a quick snack or sit down to a meal. My eyes are immediately drawn to them and every time I see them I am reminded of what is perhaps the greatest spiritual truth and reality in the whole of the Scriptures.

Have you ever stopped to consider just how a mold works?  Have you ever thought about the process that goes into the shaping of gelatin?  If you haven’t then lets briefly reflect on this process.  First, the gelatin must be changed from its powdered form into a liquid.  This requires water and heat, especially heat.  During this process, the mixture is constantly stirred until it is completely melted.  Once this is achieved, the gelatin is transferred into a mold.  The mold is completely filled to make sure there are no air bubbles inside.  Next, the mold and its contents are placed into the refrigerator and left alone for hours or overnight.  During this time, the mold is left alone, out of sight, in the dark and in the cold until the gelatin sets.  Finally, the mold is removed, placed into warm water, turned over, and the contents are dumped out.  If all has gone as planned, the gelatin bears the exact resemblance of the mold into which it was placed.

In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul talks about the importance of being molded into the image of Christ.  In fact, Paul says that this is God’s main objective for all those who believe in Him and accept the gift of salvation through His son, Jesus Christ. We find this in Romans 8:28-29, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Most people are familiar with these verses, especially verse 28.  Notice that Paul speaks with certainty.  He knows that all things work together for good.  But it is equally important to notice what Paul does not say.  He never says that all things are good, just that they work for good.  From the perspective of the gelatin, I dare say that being thrown into a pot of boiling water is not good nor is it fun. Likewise, being placed into a mold, turned upside down, and stuck into a cold, dark refrigerator can’t be the most wonderful thing either.  But all of these steps are necessary and they work to turn that liquid into a wonderful and refreshing dessert that all can enjoy.

The second part of this passage is equally, if not more important for us today.  Paul also states that God’s purpose for all those in Christ is to be conformed to the image of God’s son.  That word conformed is a bit bothersome, isn’t it?  To be conformed means we are shaped into something else.  We undergo a metamorphosis, much like a caterpillar into a butterfly, which requires us to die to our old nature in order to put on a new one.  Although everything we encounter in life is not necessarily good, God can and will use it to conform us more and more into the likeness of Jesus.  This is a lifetime process.  We are constantly being conformed into the image of Christ so that those around us will see him in our lives.

Does it seem that God has turned up the heat on you until you feel as if you are melting?  Do you feel you have been left in the dark with no one taking notice of you or your circumstances?  Take heart, both of these are indications that God is working in your life, molding and shaping you into the very image of Christ.  When He is finished, you will bear the wonderful likeness of Christ and you will be ready to share his love with those around you.  Are you being molded into shape today?