Introducing Transformers
We’re a ministry for everyday Christians just like you. We don’t care about your denomination, or whether or not you go to a church. So, whether you are Protestant or Catholic, Evangelical or Charismatic, or you don’t know what any of that means, this is the place for you. We only care that you are looking for more of what God has for you.
And we’re not just a place with good information.
We provide the practical how-to’s of living the abundant life for which you were created…
after all, you are supposed to be the light of the world, aren’t you? Then we need your light to shine.
At Transformers International you’re going to find that you, yes you,
have a Special GIFT,
That Employing your GIFT is your Purpose,
And that applying it to a vision is how you were created to make a difference.
So, Let’s get started.
What do you want?
I’m going to start this off with a question. Why?
Because without asking questions you won’t find answers.
And the better the question, the better the answer.
Aristotle, who lived around 350 BC and helped to form most of Western thought, said, “asking the right question is half the answer.”
Jesus said, “ask and it will be given to you.”
And St. James said, “you have not because you ask not.”
So how important is asking questions? It is critical.
Probably my favorite question to ask people is “what do you want?” Or sometimes I’ll ask “so what do you really want to do?” And guess what the most frequent response is…that’s right, “I don’t know.” But almost everyone I ask wants to make a difference in some way, they just don’t know how.
To be fair, I don’t think I could have answered that question well when I first started this whole project. My not knowing what I wanted led me to two really good questions;
- Why not? Why didn’t I know what I wanted, and why don’t most people know the answer?
I’m going to save the answer to this question for a later episode.
2. And the second question is, what do most people really want? Fortunately, somebody took the time to research that question in America and here is what they found.
- It depends!
- If the economy is not doing well, what most people really want (even Christians) is more money.
- If the economy IS doing well, what most people want is more time…to enjoy their money.
- And regardless of how the economy is doing, what is always high on most women’s priority list is security.
What people really want
According to polls and focus groups what people really want is more time and more money, with a pretty strong preference for more money. If they need more money, they will spend more time to make it. Sometimes spending more time also means spending more money on higher education like a professional certificate of some kind or an advanced degree.
And sometimes it means getting a second job or a gig to bring in extra income.
Then once they have enough money, they want the time to enjoy it. It is kind of a vicious circle of chasing after both. You spend time to make money, then you spend money to enjoy your time, but that takes more money and…well you get it.
How much your time is worth and what you will spend your money on is dependent on a lot of factors, one of which is where you live.
For instance, my wife and I moved here to North Carolina from the suburbs of Chicago. What people want here is very different from what people want in the city.
There is a country song by Chris Janson called Buy Me a Boat that typifies what a lot of people here in North Carolina think time and money is all about.
The song talks about having a boat, and a truck to pull it. About having a Yeti cooler filled with Coors light beer, as if that is living the dream.
But here’s the catch: if you add up the cost of that boat, truck, cooler, and beer is comes in at about $80,000 to enjoy your time.
The problem is that the median household income in NC is $60,000 a year,
meaning you have to go into serious debt for that lifestyle. At $60,000 a year, how long will it take to pay off that $80,000 debt just to have some fun.
Did I mention that women like security?
How much security do you think there is in $80,000 worth of debt for a few good times on the lake?
OK, so you are not a red neck from North Carolina. Let’s say you live in New York City, how does this apply to you.
To many in the city having a nice apartment or condo represents living the dream.
So, if you wanted to own a condo in Brooklyn Heights (not Manhattan) the cost for a 2-bedroom 1200 square foot home would cost $2.1 Million.
And the median income there is only $148,000. Again, more debt and less security.
So, what’s the point you might ask. It seems the pollsters got it right; for most Americans, what they really want most is more time and more money.
What else do people want?
For an increasing number of millennials and gen Z people, what they really want is fulfillment. Another way of saying that is that they are looking for a sense of worth or value. The fact that so many in these generations are not finding fulfillment has led to an epidemic of depression and suicide. The fact that depression is so prevalent in our society will be covered in more detail in a later episode, but for now finding fulfillment ranks higher than making a lot of money for many people in their 20s and 30s.
And a lot of folks are looking for better relationships. Some want a better relationship with God, some with friends, and many want a relationship that leads to a good marriage. What they don’t realize is that you don’t attract what you want but what you are. So if you don’t really know who you are, you will never attract the people with which you will have great relationships.
This principle also applies to your relationship with God. He deals with you based on who He created you to be, not a fake image you are trying to create for yourself. If you want a better relationship with God, you need to discover who He made you to be.
And last, but not least, some people want power.
It is true that a few want the kind of power to dominate others, but the power I am talking about is the power that was promised by Jesus when we receive the Holy Spirit.
Without this power it is impossible to live a victorious Christian life, but with this power our gifts become supercharged.
With this power we have the ability to overcome the helplessness that those who are depressed feel.
With this power we can live the way God intended and attract others to a way much different from what the world offers.
So, what do you really want?
- Do you want more money?
- Do you want more time?
- Do you want better relationships?
- Do you want more power?
- Do want all of the above?
There is no wrong answer. And the answer to all of the above is the same. It can be found in your God-given GIFT.
If you are curious how that works, come back for more as we answer that question and many more with practical, do-able, solutions you can use.
