Why Is Embracing Change An Opportunity For Wondrous Growth?
The past few months at work have been a struggle. Change is coming. We will be expanding and moving forward with more and even better care of our veterans in Cardiology. A new doctor has joined staff and we will be able to expand our services to include care that previously had to be sent out. I am excited. Although it has meant a lot of overtime in preparing the way, I embrace the challenge with faith, hope and excitement. Not the case with everyone. In fact, change is hard for some people. There are a few who meet my enthusiasm with fear, anger, and frustration. Those few place barriers and emotional obstacles along each step of the pathway. Change will come. We can choose to embrace it as an opportunity to grow or we can become miserable, angry people resisting it.
The same is true in our Christian journey. [bctt tweet=”God is not willing to leave us where He found us lying in our own beds of self-righteousness.”] Change must come in our own hearts. We can either embrace the trials that are before us with joy as God’s gift of opportunities that are transforming us or we can become angry, frustrated and fearful. Either way, if we are God’s child and know Christ as our Savior; change will come. Change is a necessary part of our Christian growth. My heart can either rebel against becoming more Christ-like or embrace the trials as an opportunity to become like Christ in His suffering.
CLOSED HEART AND MINDS RESIST CHANGE
The self-righteous Pharisees saw that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. When they questioned Him, Jesus explained that He and His Father are working every day. There would not be another day of rest for God until Paradise is one day restored with the new heaven and new earth. Until that time, God’s sustaining Grace and Sovereign Will is all that keeps this earth from plummeting into eternal damnation. For this, the Pharisees became even angrier. “ This made the Jews more determined than ever to kill Him, for not only was He breaking the Sabbath [from their viewpoint], but He was also calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18 AMP). Change was coming. Although, the truth had been all along that man was saved by faith awaiting the messiah’s arrival; now, He had arrived. Yet, they had become so complacent with their own self-righteousness that they couldn’t even recognize the truth.
CHRIST’S RESPONSE-EQUAL YET SUBMISSIVE
“19 So Jesus answered them by saying, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the Son [e]can do nothing of Himself [of His own accord], unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever things the Father does, the Son [in His turn] also does in the same way.20 For the Father dearly loves the Son and shows Him everything that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will be filled with wonder.21 Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life [and allows them to live on], even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment [that is, the prerogative of judging] to the Son [placing it entirely into His hands], 23 so that all will give honor (reverence, homage) to the Son just as they give honor to the Father. [In fact] the one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who has sent Him. 24 “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the person who hears My word [the one who heeds My message], and believes and trusts in Him who sent Me, has (possesses now) eternal life [that is, eternal life actually begins—the believer is transformed], and does not come into judgment and condemnation, but has passed [over]from death into life” (John 5 AMP). In Christ’s submissiveness to the Father’s will (which He knew already would mean the cross); He would be exalted high above all others. In His willingness to be the sacrifice for our sin, our condemnation no longer would be due to our sin; rather, it was now dependent upon whether we believe in the Jesus as our Savior or not. Do we accept or reject Him as our atoning sacrifice or not?
IN BRINGING CHANGE—I AM BRINGING LIFE
For the ritualistic, established Jewish religion at the time; the message of Jesus seemed to be a radical change. His healing on the Sabbath, turning over of the money changers tables, treatment of women and children all seemed radical changes of the status quo. As we will see in our next lesson, it was merely the unfolding of all the prophecies. Yet, it appeared to these so embedded in their own ritualism that this was a radical change; so, they fought it with all their might. Ultimately, they were the ones who cried out for the crucifixion of Christ. God’s plan of redemption was accomplished. The only ones who lost were those who still refused to accept Christ as their Savior. Change came and life is the gift to all those who embrace by faith Jesus Christ.
So, I end with two questions.
1. Do you know Jesus as your Savior?
2. If so, do you trust Him to transform your heart into one like His; no matter what lies before you?
CHANGE WILL COME!!
[bctt tweet=” I can either trust a Sovereign God with my life or I can resist His Will every step of the way. “]Joy is mine when I trust Him; embracing the changes that come. Anger and bitterness are mine when I resist His Will to change my heart. So, I can either choose joy or bitterness. I choose Joy. What about you?
I hope you listen to this song I chose for you today. Hold On (Change is Coming)
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Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
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