Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends You,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Psalms 139:23-24 NLT
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Do you believe that’s a person can change? I do…I believe that a person can change, if they want to change. We cannot change people, people have to want to change on their own or the change won’t stick. I’m talking about true change not “appearances” of change. Can people change on their own? I do believe that even this is possible. However, I also believe that the easiest change you will ever experience is with the help of God. And by easy I mean that the tools are readily available if you will accept them.
First, and foremost, a person needs to acknowledge that there is a need to change. As you can see in Psalms 139:23-24, he asked for the Lord to change him—to make him better. Confession time: when I first came to Christ, my biggest concern was that if I let Him “change“ me that I would no longer be “me“. Through prayer and constantly going to God about my concern, He pointed out that He was not changing me, but was making me into the person I was intended to be before life happened. The “me” that I came to Him as was not the “me” He had envisioned me to be. The more I explored Scripture, the more I was able to accept this.
God says, “Bring all who claim Me as their God, for I have made them for My glory. It was I Who created them” (Isaiah 43:7 NLT). He made us for His glory. Does He find glory in the fact that I isolate myself or that I am mean to others? Well, no. So, then this is not how He created me to be. How we are is not the same as how we were created to be.
Things happen in life that influence us—in positive and negative ways. God happens to make us right.
…this means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17
New life is what we are promised. But you know we have to choose to live in this new life. God can show us a better way to do anything; whether it is managing money, or loving your family and friends, or loving the people of the world, or interacting with other believers, or how to be a better mother… boss… worker… or anything! God knows the very best way to do it! And, if we ask, He will show us.
About Ahmee Bronaugh
Amhee, your devotional reemphasizes to me what our pastor is teaching us in his sermon series entitled “Rebrand, our lives, our family, our church.” To become more like Jesus and to be more effective for Jesus, there are areas of our lives that need to change, to be rebranded.
“How we are is not the same as how we were created to be.” You are so right that we have to see this and choose to allow God to change us.
You asked, “The key is that you have to want it. So, what do you want?” I want to be more like Jesus!
yes…yes, i do (want it)! i, too, believe as you do, ahmee, that people (we…me!) can change. but i also thoroughly believe we absolutely need God’s help through the Holy Spirit for lasting, effective, life-changing change. <3
Ahmee, I want to keep changing and growing for the rest of my life. I want to become the best me He wants me to be.