One of the realizations as you get older is that you truly don't have a lot of influence. Oh sure, you can help guide some people, but we truly are powerless to change anyone.
Except ourselves.
Let's face it- I can't make anyone more responsible, more loving, more forgiving, more respectful, or more joyful. I can't make anyone less sinful, less bitter, less spiteful, or less despicable. I can't make people do anything they don't want to do.
I can, however, make MYSELF more responsible, more loving, more forgiving, more respectful, and more joyful. I can make myself less sinful, less bitter, less spiteful, and less despicable.
The only person I have control over is me. Therefore, that's where all my energy needs to go.
I am the only one who will determine the depth of my relationship with God. I alone control how much time I spend in Scripture, how much of my life I surrender to God, who and what I pray for, and how I will love people. Instead of wondering why other people don't do things like I think they should, or fretting over someone else's lifestyle or decisions, I think I will divert my energy into changing only one person.
Myself.
Along with the realization that we can change no one except ourselves comes the realization that many times we don't allow God to be God. Don't the Scriptures tell us that it is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict and challenge people to change? Why, then, do we as Christians feel the need to play the role of the Holy Spirit?
It is true that the Bible tells us to speak truth. That much is certain. We are not supposed to pass over sin or evil without so much as a peep. That being said, however, instead of trying to change other people, how about we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to change other people? I'll let you in on a secret- the Holy Spirit does a MUCH better job of changing people than we do. After all, He's God.
I think we as Christians would do a better service to this world, to our churches, to our families, and to ourselves if we simply attempt to change no one but ourselves. I wonder what would happen if instead of trying to CHANGE people, we simply LOVED people and let the Holy Spirit do the changing. Maybe we should divert the time and energy we have spent trying to change people into time and energy spent in prayer.
It takes great faith in God to put this into practice. After all, what if the Holy Spirit doesn't follow through? What if He doesn't change the person?
If the Holy Spirit can't change the person, you certainly can't either.
Simply love the people. That is within your power, and it is within your responsibility. Maybe the person who needs to change is YOU. There is nothing stopping you from loving. Nothing, that is, except yourself.
Let God be God. Change no one but yourself. Love everyone including yourself.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. This sums up the Law and the Prophets." -Mark 12:28
Except ourselves.
Let's face it- I can't make anyone more responsible, more loving, more forgiving, more respectful, or more joyful. I can't make anyone less sinful, less bitter, less spiteful, or less despicable. I can't make people do anything they don't want to do.
I can, however, make MYSELF more responsible, more loving, more forgiving, more respectful, and more joyful. I can make myself less sinful, less bitter, less spiteful, and less despicable.
The only person I have control over is me. Therefore, that's where all my energy needs to go.
I am the only one who will determine the depth of my relationship with God. I alone control how much time I spend in Scripture, how much of my life I surrender to God, who and what I pray for, and how I will love people. Instead of wondering why other people don't do things like I think they should, or fretting over someone else's lifestyle or decisions, I think I will divert my energy into changing only one person.
Myself.
Along with the realization that we can change no one except ourselves comes the realization that many times we don't allow God to be God. Don't the Scriptures tell us that it is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict and challenge people to change? Why, then, do we as Christians feel the need to play the role of the Holy Spirit?
It is true that the Bible tells us to speak truth. That much is certain. We are not supposed to pass over sin or evil without so much as a peep. That being said, however, instead of trying to change other people, how about we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to change other people? I'll let you in on a secret- the Holy Spirit does a MUCH better job of changing people than we do. After all, He's God.
I think we as Christians would do a better service to this world, to our churches, to our families, and to ourselves if we simply attempt to change no one but ourselves. I wonder what would happen if instead of trying to CHANGE people, we simply LOVED people and let the Holy Spirit do the changing. Maybe we should divert the time and energy we have spent trying to change people into time and energy spent in prayer.
It takes great faith in God to put this into practice. After all, what if the Holy Spirit doesn't follow through? What if He doesn't change the person?
If the Holy Spirit can't change the person, you certainly can't either.
Simply love the people. That is within your power, and it is within your responsibility. Maybe the person who needs to change is YOU. There is nothing stopping you from loving. Nothing, that is, except yourself.
Let God be God. Change no one but yourself. Love everyone including yourself.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. This sums up the Law and the Prophets." -Mark 12:28
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