From Convert to Converterlator

God is in the life-changing business … and he wants to transform you into being more Christ-like in all areas of your life! The first step occurs when you place your faith in Christ alone to be your personal Lord and Savior. But accepting Jesus into your life is still only the first step. It is important to understand that each one of us is supposed to be an agent of change; a transformer who not only experiences a life of joy now, but who also makes decisions that will make our life echo into eternity. This is a basic principle of Kingdom of God We use the resources available to us, what I like to refer to as the “three T’s,” time, talent, and treasure, to make a difference for eternity. And in so doing, we are Converterlators.

A Converterlator is actively working to bring about kingdom change. A Converterlator understands God’s purposes for giving us time, talent, and treasure to use for him. A Converterlator sees the bigpicture, a picture that is bigger than just life here on earth. Converterlators are those who truly are transformed by their relationship with God through Jesus Christ and who are motivated by their knowledge of the Bible to become change agents in our world. Converterlators are using their time, talent, and treasure for kingdom purposes.

It is important to note here that in all other religions people attempt to reach God through works of self-effort, trusting in themselves and their own abilities. As Christ-followers, our “works” do not bring us into a relationship with God; they flow out of our relationship with him.

When my son was only six, my wife and I decided it would be good for him to play in the children’s recreational soccer league. First, we had to produce a birth certificate to prove his age. Once our son had established eligibility to play, he had to make a commitment to attend practices, follow the rules of the game, play under the direction of the coach, wear the team uniform, and play with his team.

There is a reason Paul uses an athletic metaphor in 1 Corinthians 9:25, “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize” There are a lot of crossover lessons from the world of sports to our lives as Christians!

Just as you must have eligibility when joining a sports team, you must have “eligibility” to be on “God’s team.” When we accept the salvation of Jesus Christ, we establish our relationship with God the Father and our “eligibility” to be on the team.

And just as my son had to attend practices, follow the rules of the game, play under the direction of the coach, wear the team uniform, and play with the team, we need to attend practices (in whatever form that may be for you such as worship, classes, and Bible studies), follow the rules of the game (found in the Bible!), play under the direction of the Ultimate Coach (God), wear the team uniform (Christian character), and play with the team (other Christians).

Many people refuse to listen to the “coach” or fail to show up for practice in order to be properly trained. A sense of purpose and training is required to be an effective team player on God’s team. Each player has a role to play. Each player is needed to fill a position. Each player has to work with the other players in order for the points to be scored. We need to understand the game and know our own position.

Playing in this game is far different than playing in any other game in this world. In fact, we will find that many of the “rules” for playing in God’s game are directly opposite from the rules followed by the world in achieving the goals highly exalted by man. Only the Bible can provide us with the answers to our questions about direction and purpose.

Okay, let’s assume you meet all the qualifications and conditions mentioned above. You are an eligible member of the team. You understand the rules for playing the game. You know the position you are supposed to play, and even how to play it. You are even on the field of play. However, here is an important question: Are you helping to move the ball in the right direction … from an eternal perspective?

We want to make sure we are strategically using our time, talent, and treasure for God’s kingdom while we are in this world. There are many good causes and worthwhile objectives. We want to focus on the ones that have eternal value, on results that will last forever. Everything we do or do not do has an eternal impact. The Converterlator wants God’s seal of approval on his life more than anything else. He wants to make sure he “gets off the bench,” and becomes a high impact player on the field. Life is too short to just be a spectator. Plus, it is a lot more fun to be playing on the field!

In what ways are you a Converterlator; using your “three T’s” (time, talent, and treasure) for kingdom purposes?