CHANGE — WHAT A WONDERFUL WORD
Change is one of the most hopeful words in the language of faith. It tells us that the past does not get the final word; it tells us that God is not finished; it tells us that grace is not trapped by who we were yesterday.
I have changed. A lot. Not overnight, not without resistance, not without moments of embarrassment and repentance; but truly, deeply, unmistakably changed. And if that is so—if God has been patient enough, gentle enough, persistent enough with me—then there is no one beyond the reach of His renewing work.
The Word of God never presents change as self-improvement; it presents it as resurrection. We are not invited to polish the old self, but to lay it down. Paul says that if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; the former things have passed away, and what is new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). This does not describe a minor adjustment; it describes a transformation of grace. God does not remodel the old house of sin; He builds something entirely new.
Change begins when truth is no longer something we merely believe, but something we allow to confront us. The same Paul admits that transformation happens by the renewing of the mind, not by external pressure, but by inward surrender (Romans 12:2). God does not force change upon us; He invites us into it. Grace does not drag us forward; it leads us.
Many resist change because they confuse it with condemnation. But conviction is not condemnation. Condemnation says you are hopeless; conviction says you are loved too much to remain the same. Jesus never shamed people into holiness; He loved them into freedom. To the woman caught in sin, He offered mercy before instruction, forgiveness before direction; then He said, go and sin no more (John 8:11). Grace both receives us as we are and refuses to leave us there.
Real change is rarely loud. It often happens quietly, over time, in unseen places. It looks like softened speech, slower anger, deeper compassion, growing patience. It looks like learning to listen. It looks like laying down pride and picking up humility. Sanctification is not dramatic most days; it is faithful. The Spirit works steadily, shaping us into the likeness of Christ, from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). Change is not instant, but it is inevitable when we behold Him.
And here is the great hope: change is not reserved for the strong, the disciplined, or the spiritually impressive. It is promised to the willing. The Lord is patient, not wanting any to perish, but desiring all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). This reveals the heart of God; He waits, He calls, He persists. No one is too far gone. No one is too old. No one is too set in their ways for grace.
I have changed. That is not a boast; it is a testimony. And it is an invitation. If God can change me, He can change anyone. Not by force. Not by fear. But by love that tells the truth and stays for the long work of becoming new.
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Lord Jesus, thank You that change is possible because You are faithful. Renew our minds, soften our hearts, and shape our lives until we reflect Your mercy and Your truth. Give us courage to surrender, patience to grow, and grace to trust the work You are doing in us. Amen.
BDD
