"Everybody thinks of changing humanity, but nobody thinks of changing himself."- Leo Tolstoy
It's easy to look around the world and get discouraged. We see political mudslinging, dishonesty, drama, people without character, debt, etc all around us. However, there is one thing that I see that always genuinely stands in stark contrast to all the garbage flying around each day.
The testimony of a genuinely changed human being.
Maybe this person is a husband who took his family for granted and/or was abusive, and now cherishes his family above everything else. Maybe it's a teenager who was on drugs and is now clean. Maybe it's a woman who was negative and condescending who now is speaking graciously and gently. Maybe it's a guy who refused to get off his butt to support his family and is now working two jobs, acting like a real man.
Or maybe it's a non-believer who has surrendered to Jesus and now is full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (all promises that accompany the gift of the Holy Spirit of God).
Our world is hungry for genuinely changed people. People who have struggled and overcome hard things in life, people who have been walking a bad path and have changed direction, going on a good path, and people who have new purpose and new passion, ready to take on the world.
This is where the challenge comes in. A Christian is someone who has had an encounter with the risen Lord Jesus, who has seen the goodness and glory of God, who has recognized his or her own darkness, has repented, has been forgiven, and has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit of God.
How can that person not be changed? Genuinely changed?
There is no way that a person can encounter the God of the universe and remain the same. There is no way a person can come face-to-face with the Almighty God of the universe, the Creator and Sustainer of all life, the One who conquered death on a cross, and who has the living presence of the Holy Spirit within him or her . . . . . . and continue to be the same. Continue to make the same decisions with regard to time and money. Continue to use the same language. Continue to have the same priorities. Continue to serve himself or herself. Continue to turn a blind eye towards serving the poor or the call to missions.
The world is hungry for genuinely changed people.
It's easy to look around the world and get discouraged. We see political mudslinging, dishonesty, drama, people without character, debt, etc all around us. However, there is one thing that I see that always genuinely stands in stark contrast to all the garbage flying around each day.
The testimony of a genuinely changed human being.
Maybe this person is a husband who took his family for granted and/or was abusive, and now cherishes his family above everything else. Maybe it's a teenager who was on drugs and is now clean. Maybe it's a woman who was negative and condescending who now is speaking graciously and gently. Maybe it's a guy who refused to get off his butt to support his family and is now working two jobs, acting like a real man.
Or maybe it's a non-believer who has surrendered to Jesus and now is full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (all promises that accompany the gift of the Holy Spirit of God).
Our world is hungry for genuinely changed people. People who have struggled and overcome hard things in life, people who have been walking a bad path and have changed direction, going on a good path, and people who have new purpose and new passion, ready to take on the world.
This is where the challenge comes in. A Christian is someone who has had an encounter with the risen Lord Jesus, who has seen the goodness and glory of God, who has recognized his or her own darkness, has repented, has been forgiven, and has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit of God.
How can that person not be changed? Genuinely changed?
There is no way that a person can encounter the God of the universe and remain the same. There is no way a person can come face-to-face with the Almighty God of the universe, the Creator and Sustainer of all life, the One who conquered death on a cross, and who has the living presence of the Holy Spirit within him or her . . . . . . and continue to be the same. Continue to make the same decisions with regard to time and money. Continue to use the same language. Continue to have the same priorities. Continue to serve himself or herself. Continue to turn a blind eye towards serving the poor or the call to missions.
The world is hungry for genuinely changed people.
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