Life changes us. Our experiences, whether good or bad, shape us and mold us into who we are. Maybe it's an illness or the death of a friend or loved one. Change can also be brought about by our work situation or the decisions we make. We can even be changed by the nightly news or by a book we might read.
I think that how we react to all of the changes we face in life defines who we are as human beings and as spiritual beings.
God can change us. He has changed me. And it seems to me that, when He DOES change us, it's usually for the better. Even in sickness or tragedy we can become better. But nothing changes us quite like our faith and when we come to believe in Jesus, the Messiah.
I know people who were once alcoholics and drug users who were changed by Christ. A mother I know lost not one but two of her children. Her faith defined her reaction to those deaths.
We are faced with decisions and choices every day. How we decide, what we decide, effects the rest of our lives. Even eternity future.
Jesus requires us to become changed.
Everyone remembers John 3 where Jesus tells Nicodemus, "You must be born again." But how many recall this Old Testament verse, spoken by God through the prophet Ezekiel?
"I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.[a] 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God." - Ezekiel 36:26-28
That's a big change! But it is a change we ALL must make. Have you made that change? If not, please do so today. Change can be a scary thing but it can also be an amazing, transforming event. Embrace it. As long as it brings us closer to God, how can change be anything but good?
I'm Not Who I Was - Brandon Heath
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