“A Change for the Best” by Jim Kraus
One of my favorite cartoons is a drawing of a group of people sitting around a table. The title above the picture is “Week Two of the Church Plant.” At the end of the table is a red-faced man, his hand clenched in a fist, his eyes narrowed and angry. The caption reads, “That’s not the way we did it LAST week!”
Let’s be honest. Most people don’t like change and find it hard to adapt. Instead, they like predictability, the security of routines, and the knowledge of what’s going to happen next. There are those (like me, most of the time) who will gently chide others who are reluctant to embrace change—whether it’s in the church or in their lives.
But there is one area of life in which change can never be avoided—and that is the end of life. Regardless of what happens after death, many people still refuse to make a change now—in order to gain eternal life.
Do you want a life changed for the better? Become a member of God’s family. We must change to do that. God demands that we make a radical, deep-seated change of attitude, mind, and conduct. In other words, we must repent. Failure to make that change has horrible and eternal consequences. You can say no to this change, and if you do, you will guarantee your ultimate death. Jesus underscored that grim reality: “And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God” (Luke 13:3). The change God requires is a change in how we perceive ourselves, our attitude toward God, and our understanding of who He is.
With regard to ourselves, we must turn from the self-centeredness that is at the root of our sin. We are often smug and self-satisfied but we must admit to God, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called Your son” (Luke 15:21). We have all sinned, and God cannot tolerate sin.
Then we must change our attitude toward Him because we are accountable to Him. “Just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Finally, there is a realization in the power of God. This realization is reflected in the simple prayer that we can make our own: “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner” (Luke 18:13).
The call from God for change on our part is hard. But the alternative is harder. the good news is that when we have taken the step, we’ll wonder why we ever hesitated. The new life is indescribably better than the old. It is a change for the best—turning from death to life.
~Written by Jim Kraus, “Have a Good Day” July 2011 issue
