Jesus, the Change Factor

by Tim Howard

There’s a scripture in the Bible that gives a lot of hope to people who are stuck. It communicates the incredible possibility of change and how it can happen. It’s found in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” NIV

Everyone gets stuck between a rock and a hard place throughout his or her journey. When it happens, you may feel like you’re trapped, locked in, powerless to change things and the possibility of real transformation will seem to be only a dream.

This scripture doesn’t tell us that God will change or remove all our difficulties but if we turn to Him, He will change us! I can’t speak for you but that is very encouraging to me. Even though I may be powerless in the midst of a difficult situation, God has the power to change my heart, change my perspective, change my attitude and change my future. All He needs from me is my attention, adoration, a willingness to seek Him and responsiveness to His directives.

Many people in the Bible have experienced this type of transformation when they responded to Christ. Mary Magdalene had a very sordid past. It is even said she struggled with demonic forces and was considered possessed by demons. Then she met Jesus and was transformed from being possessed to a passionate follower of Christ. The disciples went from being fearful to ones filled with faith when they encountered the risen Lord. Thomas was a doubter but after his encounter, became a full-fledged believer.

Paul the Apostle was a religious person but hated Jesus and those who proclaimed their belief in Him. He’s an example of those who go through the motions and do a lot of religious stuff but don’t have any real relationship with Jesus Christ. You can read his story in Acts chapter 9 and see how he went from being a persecutor of Christians to one who preaches the truth to people.

God wants to change you! Not because he doesn’t like what He sees but because He does. Someone said: “God loves you just like you are but He loves you too much to let you remain as you are.”

There are four ways God uses to bring about change?

1. He first starts with kindness and blessing. Rom. 2:4 God’s kindness, tolerance and patience… leads you toward repentance. God wants you to recognize his goodness and volunteer to be changed by Him. The word repentance means a change.

2. If there is no response, He will convict you. Your conscience when trained by the Word of God functions like our modern day GPS system. It will correct your course and keep you on track if you follow its advice. Check out John 16:8.

3. God counsels you. Psalms. 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. The Bible, books, seminars, small group meetings, one on one fellowship, classes, DVD, CD teaching series and weekly church family gatherings are a few ways God provides direction and the possibility of change.

4. If all else fails, God will confront you. The author of Hebrews calls it: ‘Chastisement’ or ‘Discipline.” Heb. 12:10 “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.”

Can you identify any attitudes, beliefs, expectations, thinking or behavior that needs to change? If so, there’s someone who can help you. His name is Jesus.