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When the elders address the congregation in a few weeks
to encourage us and layout goals for the upcoming year,
they're going to ask us to change.
To most people, change is scary. We do everything
we can to avoid change and keep the status quo.
But for earnest Christians, change is welcomed, because
we can't improve in our service to God without change.
Change Requires Repentance
One reason we may not want to change is that change
requires repentance -- a change of heart resulting in
a change in action.
We may think about repentance from sin, and think
if we change it means we've been sinning. But that's
not necessarily true.
As Christians, we are constantly learning more about
God, and changing to be more like Him. We never reach
a point where we are absolutely perfect, and don't need
to change.
Paul gives himself as an example of constantly striving
to do his best, changing to become more perfect every
day, but never reaching absolute perfection till in
heaven.
- "Not that I have already obtained it or have
already become perfect, but I press on
so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was
laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not
regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but
one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and
reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press
on toward the goal for the prize of the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:12-14).
Pride a Stumbling Block
One of many stumbling blocks to change is pride.
To change, we must admit we're doing something that's
wrong, outdated, or needs improvement.
But because of pride, we sometimes think we're perfect.
As a result, we're ashamed to change because it's an
admission that we're doing something inadequate, or
possibly even wrong.
Many years ago, I heard a series of lessons on evangelism
and became angry, because of my unwillingness to change.
Pride was at the root of my anger. I couldn't bare
to admit I was inadequate in my service to God, and
that I needed to change.
But once I learned to deal with my pride, I changed
and became a better Christian, like Hezekiah, who had
to humble the pride of his heart before he could change
(2 Ch. 32:26).
Change Necessary For Improvement
If we aren't changing, we aren't improving in our service
to God.
For example, a high school basketball player goes
to practice every day for two months. At the first game,
everyone at school sees how much he's improved.
Why was the basketball player better? Because he changed
and improved.
As Christians, we are constantly learning from God,
and improving in our service.
The improvement we make is a result of change. We
are doing things differently than before.
Jesus changed when He was a boy, increasing in wisdom
and stature, and in favor with God and men. And we must
change also, and improve in our service to God.
Faithful Christians Are Changing
The fact is that all faithful Christians are constantly
changing, because they are constantly improving in their
service to God.
We can tell the difference between a strong Christian
and a weak Christian, by whether they are changing to
become better Christians.
A strong Christian is changing and growing to improve
in his service to God (2 Pet. 1:5-8).
But a weak Christian is stale and stagnant, lukewarm,
not growing at all, and shrinking back to perdition
(Heb. 10:39).
And since a congregation is composed of individual
Christians, it undergoes change to improve in its service
to God, as the members change and improve.
We Want To Change
As strong Christians, growing in the Lord, we want to
change.
We want to change to serve God better than before,
because we love Him, and want to please Him in everything
we do.
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