Change Is Coming...Embrace It! - Part 3

The German philosopher Immanuel Kant famously stated, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Kant believed that while society, politics and mankind desire change, reality consistently finds it very difficult to shape permanent change. It takes vigilance to stay focused on what is good and godly while resisting what is bad and evil.

Several countries have weapons capable of obliterating human beings. Terrorists seek to wreak havoc on those considered to be their enemy. The goals of the church, education, medicine and the penal system is to change society, improve the character of people and make the planet a better, safer place to live.

Character flaws can be transformed by truly renewing your mind, which means to change how you think, what you believe and how you choose to behave. Jesus said, “I have come to save the world not condemn it.” The fact that Christ Jesus lives within you confirms that you can go forward in faith to possess what God has prepared for you.  

Like It or Not, Change Will Come - Part 1

One enemy of decision-making is complacency, a quiet contentment or satisfaction with what life has presented. A very wise thinker who lived four hundred years before Christ wrote, “We know what needs to be done, we understand it clearly, but we can’t bring it to fruition.” This attitude gets disguised in excuses that negate empowerment.

I had a conversation with a person who recently changed careers. After earning a Master’s degree, she left where she’d worked since graduating from college. Where did her empowerment come from? Her faith included trusting God’s guidance and provision for the resources to step out of complacency and accept the challenge God made available.

Remember the woman who believed if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ outer garment, she would be healed? She refused to stay home and suffer hopelessly in silence. Instead she searched for healing and found it. Jesus said Thomas, “Be not faithless but believing.” This is an essential empowerment for change and a contented life.  

Golden Opportunities: Hard Choices - Part 1

The Jewish Rabbi Hillel was humorously challenged to teach the whole law while standing on one foot. Here’s his response: "What you do not like done to you, do not do to others. This is the entire law." The Golden Rule is based on "Love your neighbor as yourself." Can you love yourself, as this commandment intends?

Self-love includes the soul's desire for the essential enrichment that God provides. Loving your neighbor means believing he or she is worthy of the best that God makes available. One thing is for sure, bitterness, hate, anger and too much pride are incompatible with loving oneself as God intended.

Doing to others as you would have them do to you requires vigilance devoted to monitoring your attitudes, motives and actions. A desire to love God with your entire being must come first. Then be aware of opportunities that come your way, and deliberately choose to practice kindness, patience and goodness. These comprise the Golden Rule. God will reward your commitment to do so.  

At a Crossroads? Get Out of the Rut and Reach Higher - Part 1

Getting into a rut is relatively easy. All it takes is following a pattern of behavior for months or years. Dedicated to his practice, a young attorney paid his dues working long hours and weekends. Long, stressful days created fatigue and irritability, so when he arrived home, he was unable to provide the affection and acceptance his family longed to receive from him.

He progressively became alienated from his family, totally missing out on the blessings of being a husband and father. After years of alienation he came to a significant crossroads. As an older man, he was forced to choose between being a workaholic and being submissive to what God intended a husband and father to give and receive.

While his marriage may be irreconcilable, there is hope for being friends with the woman who once loved him. Reaching out to his children, he hopes to achieve some semblance of reconciliation. God's word reminds us that what seems impossible can be possible with God. Asking, seeking and knocking, while grasping on to patience, can be a winning formula.  

Rewriting Your Life Script? Set Boundaries - Part 3

Can you imagine going back in time to change significant choices you made at a younger age? Being older and wiser indicates the probability for choosing differently. Some would even like to rewrite their entire life script composed of experiences, decisions, and the direction their life took over the years.

Some things are unalterable. You can't change who your parents were or the environment you were exposed to growing up, but you can change your attitude. Altering daily routines to allow for more flexibility isn't easy, but it's not impossible. God’s grace and mercy and the insight he provides allow for a new script to be written on how you will order your life for the remainder of your days.

Psalm 1 refers to a life script God will bless. "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord on which he meditates day and night.” This is not easy, but a choice that honors Christ Jesus.

Repentance: Letting Go of Sin - Part 2

Tragedy forms troubling images in our minds because it can be so painful. Most people tolerate tragedy and eventually heal from its wounds, but consider  those who invite tragedy by refusing to change certain attitudes and behaviors. They have an inner tenacity to hold on to a way of life, regardless of the destruction it produces.

Repentance is sincere remorse for sin and is accompanied by a  desire to forever change old behavior patterns. God creates in those who truly repent an unrelenting desire to avoid the sin that's so easily besetting. God constructs in each of us a resilience to fight off sin and its consequence.

God, through Christ Jesus, creates in us a new person equipped with His armor to manage tragedies we will face. Repentance is a deep-seated regret for sin and opens the way for God to renew a right spirit within us. God is constantly giving you strength to survive and the capacity to change, so give thanks and praise to him.