Change

I filled in for our associate pastor last night teaching the "Equip U" class. I was a hair resistant about the whole thing, but I agreed to fill in. The topic of the class has been "How We Change." The entire class has been an uncomfortable and convicting yet very challenging experience for me as I sat and learned. And this time - as is the case many times when we say "yes" to something that we do not want to do but we know is the right thing to do - I was convicted, moved, and challenged. The central message last night was that we change by placing ourselves in a position to receive God's gifts of grace which help us grow. We don't cause the growth. We just "show up" and receive God's gifts of grace.

Five gifts of Grace in the life of a believer that provide growth and change are:

The Bible - When we interact with the Bible, God directs our hearts, minds and actions toward Jesus Christ. His sacrifice motivates and inspires us to change. We desire to please God through change as a way to say "Thank you".

The disciplines - Dicsiplines include fasting, meditating, prayer and worship. These are all delivery systems where humans gain a Godly perspective.

Other Christians - This is a significant way in which God introduces change into our lives. Others (an outside force) help us in areas where we are weak. There strengths are passed along to us via modeling, instruction, and accountability. (Yes, that means that the person that you may find to be just a little annoying may be God's gift to you to bring growth and change in your life.)

The Holy Spirit - The Spirit of God indwells the believer. As we experience life, we are convicted, taught, and directed by him. When we yield (we call this filling) to His voice, major changes transpire. We no longer medicate our hurts with what makes us feel good but rather are comforted by His presence.

Time - God does not expect us to change overnight. In fact change is a process - a process through which God demonstrates great patience to us. We are weak, sinful and self-centered beings. These characteristics don't just fall off of us at the time of salvation but rather are torn away through grace. We call this sanctification.

So why is this important? I often find my self falling into the same old hole, walking back to the same old vomit (what a picture in Proverbs 26:11), and failing in the same old ways. When I surround myself with the works of grace in my life, I BEGIN to see some real and measureable change. Last night I placed myself in a position to receive God's grace and today I'm seeing slow (ever so slow) change.

So let the work begin!