Change
Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God— truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:22-24
Do you like change? If I’m honest I have a love/hate relationship with change. There is much about life that is comfortable and congenial and I would be happy if it stayed the way it is. There are other things that I would be happy to change in an instant. In these verses Paul tells us we need to get used to the fact that God is looking for revolutionary change in our lives. He wants that because his desire is for our lives to be completely blessed; not merely an improvement on what they used to be.
This process of change is so radical that it has to start in our thoughts. Only as we allow God to renew our thinking will any real change take place in our actions. I know that this could sound scary. But God is motivated by perfect love and his intentions are that we should reach our true potential, so we can be completely confident as we place ourselves in his hands. God’s intention is that our new nature should be just like his. We have no need to be fearful about the changes that God wants to see in our lives.
Since God is holy and perfectly loving it might seem sensible if he were to impose his changes on us. But God is always unwilling to do that. The decision lies with us. That’s why Paul uses the language of changing clothes. God looks to us to throw off the old suit of clothes. He wants us to make the deliberate decision to change our way of life before he will give us a wonderful new suit of clothes to put on. In his love, he lets us decide.
QUESTION
Are you willing to let God change your attitudes and thoughts?
PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank you that you only ever ask me to change because of your perfect love for me. Amen