Change

“In the same way, I tell you there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes his heart and life, than over ninety-nine good people who don’t need to change.”
-Luke 15:7

Throughout this presidential campaign one candidate has proposed one word, and with this one word it brings a whole heap of responsibilities and a lot of work. So what is this one word and which candidate am I talking about? Well it’s none other than Barack Obama with his one word slogan “Change!” I thought to myself, “It’s going to take a lot to change this world.” Change is and will always be a difficult thing to do. But before we can change anything we have to identify what it is that we need to change. In this verse there are two things that change 1. His heart and 2. His Life. Our hearts are the first thing that need to change. In Matthew 6:21 Jesus goes on to explain that whatever we treasure the most there our hearts will be also. If I treasure my money then that is where my heart is, if I treasure a sports team that is where my heart is, or if I treasure an individual that is where my heart is. But God wants our HEARTS! Our first thing we need to change is our hearts, God needs to be above everything else. My dad once told me, “God is so big that he fits that He fits the world in His hands, yet so small He can fit inside your heart.” The second thing that needs to change is our Life. If our lifestyle does not match our hearts than what are we preaching, a false Jesus? First point I have to make is that change is a process! It definitely is not an over night wish upon a shooting star kind of thing. Like P.Nick said one time, “We are habitual creatures.” In our lives we have learned both good and bad things whether it was from our parents, media, or peers, we pick up things. Our Christian walk is going to be a process rolled up with problems only to find Gods promises. Change is needed!

I loved these two areas of change because they display a spiritual and a physical area of our lives. In my life I know I still need to change things. As much as I want to say or think that as soon as I said yes to Jesus that all my urges and slight addictions were going to be removed, their not. Now I’m glad I can say that I am free of major addictions but it doesn’t mean that I don’t get tempted. In order for me to live a life that is changed I have to be willing to change. The willngness to change depends on the willingness to stand and fight. Like I said earlier change is not an easy subject, it’s taking everything that you and I were and transforming it to everything that God designed us to be. Are you willing to change? I am.

Lord Help me to change from the inside out. Amen