by Willie Andres
The word “change” kept ringing in my ears as we were driving home after church. I am almost sure now, being Monday, Sept. 5, 2011 that Pastor Oyette’s message has got something to do with it. On the side by the way, I tell you guys, I‘ve been listening to very relevant sermons coming from the pastors and future pastors of GSCC these days. Talk about down-to-earth, from-the-heart and in-your-face messages. I praise the LORD.
I went to Biblegateway.com today and typed the word in the keyword search box (NIV version) and it gave a total of 71 verses where the word appeared and here’s a few: Change his mind, his attitude changed, change into a different person, change of heart, change the present situation, things changed, and the list goes on.
In our lifetime we all long for change -for the better, I suppose or to put it this way, change into something which “we think” will be better. I have not heard anybody wanting change to take place for the worse. Even in some prayers we hear petitions for change.
We all want to change something or some things. Some even want to change the world. While there are things that we can change, there are those that we just can’t. And most of the time we obsess to change those things (even people) that just will not change. What pains us is the insistence of bringing about change according to our terms. While it may take place, the result is not pleasant, even disappointing.
Change can be outward, superficial. This type is more personality-oriented. This is for pleasing men. Some change can be partial or aimed for compromise like, “you change, then I’ll change.” Still, there is change that takes place and stays. This, in my opinion, is what change should be like, as in change of heart, or, change in attitude. It is a shift. A transformation.
In Matthew 18: 1-3, we read: 1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
I have always wondered how it is to “change and become like a little child.” I came to the conclusion that a little child has no bias or prejudice, is trusting, direct, teachable, submissive, innocent and easily convinced. It is not, in my experience with little children, difficult to divert their attention and change the situation at hand. It is easy. Why? Because they are simply little children. The way we ought to be. To bring about change.
Change is the result of a desire. And it heavily involves a large dose of self-control, or to put it another way, a taming of one’s self. As in the Lord Jesus challenging his believers to “deny yourselves to become my disciples…” It is a necessary choice, not just a suggestion or alternative. It has to take place or our Christian walk will not be effective and affective
While it is not so easy to change, we ought to. We need to change first before we can change others. Or we can forever try to break ourselves against the truth, the truth that will never change. It is synonymous to a shift, a transformation, a renewing or a restoration. We read in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Let us not wait for others to change. It may not happen in a long time. Let us be the ones to change first.
