Family members have recently started watching episodes of a show I loved – Fringe. They reminded me of the characters I once enjoyed – Olivia, Peter, Astrid, Fauxlivia and Walter. Who could ever forget Walter!

During one season, “shape shifters” were introduced to the story line. Shape shifters were those who could pass through from the other side, which was a reciprocal world to the existing one. One side is good, the reciprocal side evil. It’s science fiction and far from reality. But this got me to thinking .. is it really?

There is a “shape shifter” among us. He poses as: an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14); a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8); the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4), to name a few. But then I wondered if Satan is the only shape shifter among us?

Am I also not a shape shifter at times:

“My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness.  For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day.” (Galatians 5:15-17, MSG)

Here we we see the same reciprocity as in “Fringe” ”“ two ways of life, seemingly identical, yet so antithetical and we have a choice to make as to how we will live. If we choose to live according to our flesh and this world, we will “shape shift” and become: 

”When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.” (Galatians 5:19-21, The MSG)

But when we choose, and yes, the choice is solely ours, we can become more like Him:

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
(Galatians 5:22-23, The MSG)

We are not left on our own as God’s Word tells us how we can make this “shape shift” happen:

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
(Galatians 5:25, NIV)

May we keep in step with Him and
let some shape shifting occur today!

*This is an edited re-post.