Change

CHANGE… The mere mention of change stirs up anxiety in most people, but change is a natural part of life.  Change is inevitable.  Sure, change is messy and can be difficult, but change also brings opportunity and progress.  Change comes from two places.  It comes from within or is brought about through forces from the outside.  Romans 12:2 says “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  Transformation is change from within; conformity is change from the outside.

I started thinking about change a few weeks ago when I had the privilege of attending a weekend retreat with Cornerstone Prison Church at the South Dakota State Penitentiary.  Throughout the weekend, inmates and outsiders shared their stories of how God had orchestrated change in their lives and brought them to a better place spiritually.  My heart was burdened for these men as they shared their struggles of attempting to change the path they were on and walk out their faith in a dark place surrounded by guilt and shame over their past choices.  We talked about the hope we have and about being prepared to share our testimonies.  We encouraged each other to persevere and to be a light wherever we are.

The whole experience was a lot to process, but there was a simple question presented by one of the speakers that caught my attention.  “Do you believe God can change people’s lives?”  I nodded my agreement to the posed query.  Yes, God can change people’s lives!  After all, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”  Which led me to think about the apostle Paul.  Talk about a man that experienced change.  Paul went from being the early church’s greatest enemy to its boldest ambassador.  I wonder how many people ever expected Paul to change.  I wondered if someone had been praying for Paul’s transformation.

That’s when the Holy Spirit opened His can of conviction.

Here I was sitting shoulder to shoulder with murderers, thieves, rapists, and drug dealers and I had no problem believing that God had changed their heart, yet there are people in my everyday life who I have given up hope on ever experiencing transformation.  What does that say about what I really believe?  I declare that I believe God can transform someone’s life, except for So-and-So or You Know Who.  (I’m sure you can fill in that reference with someone from your own life.)  That person will never change.  We make excuses for people who we see as being outside the reach of God’s alterations.  “Oh that’s just the way he/she is.”  I felt ashamed for dismissing the power of the Holy Spirit to change a person’s heart.  I was overcome by the hypocrisy that I say I believe in God’s transforming work, but I don’t expect it.

As the retreat was drawing to a close, the Pastor led us in an examination of our hearts as we prepared to come to the Lord’s Table.  My heart was heavy.  I was undone by the guilt of my own self-righteousness and judgmental thoughts.  I was in need of God’s changing grace just as much as anyone else in the room.  I wept as I was reminded by a convicted felon that Jesus’ blood was shed for me. For both of us.  For all of us.

My most needed change is that He must increase and I must decrease.

Erin Jacobsma

 

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