Transactional or Transformational Christianity?

In the world of Human Resources there is a rumbling that has everyone wondering what is going to happen with their chosen profession. For years the job of the Human Resources department, or as it used to be called, "Personnel," was to make sure that the employees were hired correctly, that all of their paperwork was in place, that they had accurately signed up for their benefits, and that, should it come to it, the employee was terminated legally. For years that was the sum and total of the responsibilities of the H.R. Manager.

But as businesses evolved, upper management started asking if that was a necessary role for a person or a department. Couldn't a manager be trained to carry out most of those tasks? In fact, if the process was simplified, wouldn't it be more effective to make most of those tasks "self-service," and have the new hire take care of them himself? As businesses moved into the electronic and computer-based world, it became obvious that many of these things could be done without the help of a Human Resources leader.

This trend towards self sufficiency was a wake-up call for the profession. They realized that if they were going to continue, they needed to recreate themselves. They saw that they needed to be involved with the strategy of the organization - to bring their understanding of the human side of business to the table to help the organization succeed. And in the successful businesses in America, that is exactly what is happening.

It reminded me of the need I have in my life. I have often focused on the "doing" of Christianity - the tasks that I felt demonstrated that I was a Christian. You know, kind of like the rich young ruler that came to Jesus; "All of those things I have done from my youth." The things that in the Human Resources world are called "transactional activities."

But those things don't result in true change. It's like rotating old tires on a car - they might be in a different place than they were before, but that won't put more tread on the tires! While I see the value of rotating tires, sooner or later I will have to do something about those bald tires....

The true change happens when we focus not on the tasks but on the core. That is what HR calls "transformational activities." And in Christianity our part is submitting our wills to Christ so He can change us from the inside out.

Romans 12:2 says, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." That's transformational talk. And if you want to know how that happens, I encourage you to read the prayer that Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:14-19.

Matthew West describes my feelings exactly in the words of his song: "I don't want to go through the motions..." How about you?

God bless you abundantly!