Communication That Transforms

Personal growth and change can be subtle, almost unnoticeable, taking place over an extended period of time, or it can be swift and dramatic. Some life experiences can be so shocking and earthshaking that life no longer proceeds down its seemingly predictable pathway. God often gives us a new roadmap to follow.

The Apostle Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus was a life-changing event. In that moment he lost his eyesight and his life’s mission, along with his identity. Waiting in darkness, vulnerable and defenseless, his world was turned upside-down. When God restored his vision, he was ready to learn a new way to think and believe.

Although the Apostle Paul would continue to grow and change as God intended, becoming temporarily blind would be a high-water mark for his life. Hatred changed to compassion, while loathing was transformed into a desire for fellowship. God's power and love will create in you a clean heart, transforming how and with whom you communicate.

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It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom.

~Galatians 5:13-14 The Message

 

And so encourage one another and help one another, just as you are now doing.

~1 Thessalonians 5:11 Good News Bible

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Fightings Within, Fears Without: Come to God - Part 3

Internal struggles can be caused by having a lack of self-control when faced with difficult choices. Learned patterns of thinking and believing may serve as obstructions to realizing success and happiness. A man in his forties explained how his parents overindulged him as a child, creating an impression that life would be easy and that others were obliged to meet his needs.

Overindulgence produced impatience with others and a lack of self-control. While he was not a drug or alcohol abuser, he found it difficult to resist other temptations. Although we have the right to pursue what could be construed as happiness, we do not have the right to violate the ethical rules and guidelines of society or of God’s laws.

Beyond society’s expectations, God’s laws eventually become conscious to each person. However, true and lasting confidence comes from being certain of your standing with Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord. Internal strife and conflict diminish as Christ Jesus becomes real in every aspect of your life.

Through the Lens of Confidence: Transformation - Part 3

Some time ago I was talking with a woman in her late thirties who had just attended her twenty year high school class reunion. She related how exciting it was to renew contact with former classmates. Unexpectedly, the night of the class reunion brought some pleasant surprises. Her former classmates gave her affirmation after affirmation of how important a role model she had been for them.

Although the troubles and sorrows of life had diminished the confidence she once projected to others, she could sense it returning just being around these friends. Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of prayer, gave her the courage to face her struggles and fight for a healthier existence.

That class reunion proved to be what psychologist Abraham Maslow called a peak experience, a high point in life that renews hope and faith in one's self. This woman could see how God was at work to help her change and move on to greater accomplishments in her life. It is God's desire for us to change, to mature, and to have hope and plans for a brighter future.   

Through the Lens of Confidence: Transformation - Part 2

When I was in the seventh grade, I had a friend who was much shorter and lighter in weight than myself. I was about average height and weight. Another classmate, tall and stocky, habitually picked on my friend by humiliating him in front of the other kids. One day I came to his defense, which led to an after-school boxing match between myself and this bully.

The miracle of the day was, I survived to tell the story. I was too much of a light weight to win physically, but I won something else, including the way I was perceived by the other kids. The next day the bully came up to shake my hand and to tell me I was a good fighter. That encounter basically ended what was motivating him to bully other classmates.

What I admired about this bully was his inner strength to change how he perceived himself and others. I do not know what changed emotionally or spiritually for him, but God is at work to change those who trust and believe in his power to transform the vilest sinner. The Lord Jesus Christ never overlooks an opportunity to transform the most unlikely candidate.  

Through the Lens of Confidence: Transformation - Part 1

We've all observed men and women who could roll with the flow of life, who refused to be distracted from their objectives. The ability to roll with the flow doesn't imply giving in to temptation or "doing as the Romans do while in Rome." It takes character strength to sidestep entrapments designed to divert you from God's intended purpose.

A mother referred to her son as intrepid, gutsy, and determined to achieve, despite having a tough learning disability. Resilience enabled him to make friends, do his work with integrity, and deflect self-doubt that was always present. What helped him stay focused was confidence in his parents to be an encouragement regardless of what he would have to face.

The Apostle Paul had unshakable confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus transformed him into a person with direction and purpose for his life. God gave him the wisdom and maturity to change along with a vision that affected the world in a way he had previously believed to be impossible. With Christ in you, all things are possible.  

Repentance: Letting Go of Sin - Part 1

I once heard a friend describe an acquaintance as an "accident waiting to happen." My friend was speaking humorously, but some behaviors suggest a recklessness that gives birth to heartbreak and sorrow. Interestingly, some people often gain notoriety because of their resilience to recover from the suffering of terrible tragedies.

Resilience can be a means for continuing immoral behavior. Turning from evil behaviors can be rejected even when the necessity to change cannot be denied. Godly repentance indicates the Holy Spirit is nudging you to face the truth and realize the certainty that Christ Jesus lives in you.

God's mercy and forgiveness sets in motion a process of transforming an arrogant, unrepentant person into a new, Christ-centered person. Ephesians 4:1 explains that you are being made new in your attitude and will experience a new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Won't you give God permission to make this transformation of love within you? 

Choosing Compassion and Forgiveness - Part 1

Standing up for what you believe can be a test of your faith. The older brother in the story of the prodigal son stood up for what he believed to be an unjust, unfair situation. He saw his father as having coddled his younger brother, who had been totally irresponsible to the point of disgracing the family.

This parable demonstrates how concern for others can be completely absent. The older brother lacked sympathy for his younger sibling, who through bad choices had squandered his inheritance. The older son could not muster any sympathy for his father, who loved the younger son regardless of the pain he had brought to the family.

Sympathy is expressed sorrow, felt for someone who is hurting. Empathy goes beyond sympathy. Empathy feels as others feel, thinks as they think, and accepts them as they are. With God's help, you can rise above your troubles and reach out with compassion to others who have made bad choices that affected you personally. Empathy reflects God's transforming grace.