Should we stop trying to change the world?
*Romans 15:5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.*
So much time and energy is spent in Christian circles trying to
change the world…. And while many of the things we strive for our laudable, they are not of ultimate significance. God teaches that they way the world will know us is how we love each other and if our love for each other is no different from the world then they will not desire what it is that we have. Some people think the best way to change people is to lecture them on what they are doing wrong and while correction can be a good thing, it often isn’t the thing that changes people. The bible teaches that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance and it is only by kindness we can hope others will repent. In my own experience, I have found that the more time we spend with God the more like him we become. It is only when we have allowed God to conform us into his image that we can begin to be effective ambassadors for our faith. Many teach effective ministry strategies or ways to make arguments in defense of the faith, and while both of those things are useful they cannot be effective apart from a deep and abiding love that comes from knowing God and fellowshipping with him. We spend so much time seeking after God to get him to change things in our lives that we don’t like…. instead of asking him to conform us into his image. Transformation is always a painful process, but it always yields great results that make the pain worth it. How foolish is it for us to want the world to change when we ourselves do not want to make those painful changes that are necessary for us to grow. It is only be changing who we are that the world can change. The world is the sum of all of the people in it and when the Christians begin living lives that make a difference the entire world changes. But if we are too lazy to come to God for change than what hope is there for the rest of the world? We have access to the throne of the creator and heaven and earth and we so often neglect it for the business of this world. My friends don’t waste your time or your life because it is short and we are here today and gone tomorrow and when we go it is unlikely we will be remembered. It is only in the people we choose to love that our lives can echo into eternity. All of us have gone through broken relationships and that is always a difficult thing. But I have found that often what we have destroyed through our sin and pride….. God rebuilds with his grace and mercy. Never give up nor lose hope that God cannot reconcile you to those you have hurt and have hurt you. If you have friends or family who has wronged you my best advice is to forgive them…. For life is too short for bitterness and unforgiveness. Forgiveness isn’t easy and it can take a lot of time but it will comfort you like nothing else can. How great is God that while we were his enemies he still died for us…
About the Author: I am a Birmingham attorney who has been in private practice for over six years. I have a general practice, so I get the opportunity to help serve people who find themselves in some very difficult circumstances. My e-mail is reidfirm@gmail.com. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope it encourages you. I always love getting thoughtful comments, so please email those to me. My website is www.reidlawalabama.com. If you know anyone who is going through a difficult situation whether it be legal or personal and they are in Birmingham area you can e-mail me at chris.reid@reidlawalabama.com. Our firm works with some excellent faith based counselors, many of whom are free or low cost. A lot of the times the legal issues people face are due to deeper underlying issues like substance abuse and other things. I have found the most effective form of treatment is getting a personally qualified counselor who helps get to the root of the issues someone is dealing with, and we will help people get connected for free (we never take a payment for referral fee for this). Again my website is www.reidlawalabama.com, which contains my contact information. God Bless.