Most people believe that they don’t need to change which is a sign of spiritual, mental, and emotional immaturity. That assumption could not be further from the truth. Jesus spoke:
Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
The quickest way to find out what is in the heart of an individual is to simply spend some time listening to them, especially in a stressful situation. Initially, they can create the illusion that all is well and they are at peace and equilibrium with the world. Add a little pressure to the situation and you find out where they are really at. Ultimately the tongue will reveal the contents of the heart as Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed in the above Scripture. This is a spiritual “law” and reality. Another reality is the law of “fruit inspection”. James wrote:
James 3:11-12 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?
Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?
Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh
If you look in the mirror and are brutally honest with yourself, what do you see? How many attributes on the list of Love can you mark off? Look at your checkbook or bank statement. Who have you distributed to that is in greater need than yourself? How often have you given without expecting anything in return? You have no excuse. Your checkbook reflects your intent. You don’t have to wait until you have a million dollars to give. Buy a stranger a cup of coffee. Bag leaves for a retired neighbor. If you really look, you can find a need that you can fulfill.
For GOD so loved the world, HE gave! Christians often claim they want to be like Jesus until it is time to give, whether it be time or money. This blog is not about condemnation, it is about “change”. Until each of us acknowledges that we need to change, no change will occur. We often wonder why we are not being blessed by Our Heavenly Father only to find that if we look in that revealing mirror, we would find the source of the problem- me. Most people don’t want their self interest exposed and will often attack the messenger. It wasn’t healthy to be an Old Testament Prophet! None of them needed a 401K retirement account.
Many “aspiring” overcomers are not givers but instead would have to be classified as “takers”. This should not be. Just because you receive a revelation does not mean you have been chosen to participate in it. Moses received the revelation of the Promised Land only to see it from afar then die. Moses dealt with a large group of “takers” who complained even when confronted with miracles from On High. We all know that needy person who would suck the life out of you if given the opportunity. They want everybody else to change and think that they have arrived at full maturity. When confronted with that person, we must pray for the wisdom to properly interact so as not to perpetuate the problem. We must be careful not to sin and miss the Promised Land like Moses did.
The Garden of Eden provided our first view of this reality- Change starts from within. Once Eve’s intent was changed, she acted and began to die, the same being true for her husband. The Old Testament dealt with the outward actions and the modification of behavior until Our Savior came forth to deal with the inward man.
Love corrects the situation. Once the intent in the heart is changed, the path of restoration begins. Without the understanding that Our Heavenly Father’s motivation and actions are always Love-based, it is difficult to read the Old Testament and understand the subtle aspects of cleansing and correction. Our Heavenly Father is not in the business of “enabling” sin. HE is in the business of cleansing us of sin and restoring us to HIM. That process can and will be mentally and emotionally painful at times. Our ego will fight us during this process. Our ego says “don’t make waves” whereas the Holy Spirit says “reveal the poison so that it can be removed”.
Our society has pursued the path of destruction. Ponder the following list:
Gal 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God
Our Heavenly Father WILL deal with us on a corporate basis and the cleansing process will not be pretty. However as individuals, we can prepare ourselves by looking in the mirror and acknowledging that we must change, mature, and deal with those unfruitful areas in our lives. Only then will the windows of Heaven pour out blessings for us to utilize in bringing forth the Kingdom of GOD.