Family Ministry Moments - January 2024
Can you really change? New Year’s is a time of reflection. We think about what we dislike about ourselves and what we need to change. Often those changes revolve around bad habits. The top resolutions according to a Forbes article are: improved fitness, improved finances, improved mental health, lose weight, and improved diet. In the past I have also seen people resolve to drink less, meet certain career goals, travel more, and be more spiritual. What do all these resolutions have in common? They all have to do with change.
The desire to change and improve is a uniquely human experience. I believe that this desire is fueled from deep within our souls. Even if we refuse to acknowledge it, people know they are flawed. They know they are imperfect and in need of something better. Christians know this to be true because the Bible reveals the truth to us. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23. God is the standard of perfection. He is just, righteous, and holy. Since this is the case and we are His creation, created in His image, I believe there is an innate desire to be better. We want to overcome this sin-sick world and be perfect. This is why we have a desire to change.
The question remains: can we change? The pessimist says that we cannot change, that people virtually remain the same and that change is temporary. The optimist says that change is surely possible provided one is willing to work for it. What does the Bible say on the subject? The Bible is a proponent of transformative change through the power of the gospel. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” 2 Corinthians 5:17. In Christ we can change; we go from dead to alive, from sinful to righteous. This is the only true and lasting change.
This is the change that I have experienced in my own life, as I reflect on my life before Christ and realize how much I ran from God. I also realize how offensive my sin was to God. This is not to say that I still don’t struggle with sin despite being freed from it. The battle with the flesh continues to rage even for the new creation. This is why we need to continue in our transformation of becoming like Christ. The work of sanctification (becoming like Christ) is not completed until we go to be with the Lord. Christians should be people that believe in change and strive to develop throughout our lives.
The way we change, however, is not through trying, but rather through faith driven surrender. We must continue to strive for greater and greater faith. Jesus continually challenged His followers to have faith. “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.” Mark 11:22-23. Notice that Jesus tells us to have faith in God. Faith in ourselves gets us nowhere, only faith in God means anything.
The beginning of true change starts with faith and continues as we surrender daily to the Lord. There is no amount of trying that is going to bring us lasting change, it is only when we stop trying and start surrendering, we truly find hope. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2. When we submit to the Lord we can be transformed.
This new year, take time to reflect on where you are personally, physically, and spiritually. It is a great time for self-assessment and, as you reflect, remember to take your deficiencies to the Lord. God cares about all the concerns in your heart. Whatever you are struggling with, ask God to help you. With faith driven surrender to the Lord we can change to become more like Christ!