Change from within

I have been intrigued by the number of people in the Bible who God mightily used, and yet, there was no demand on them to change before He used them. People were picked from their miry clay and set on higher grounds for His purpose; nonetheless, their characters remained the same. God created us and endowed us with our personalities and feelings, which defines who we are as His children. This made me wonder, if God is willing to use us despite our characters and behaviours, then what does He really want from us? What does God want from a relationship with His children?

Abraham was known for deceiving two kings (Pharaoh and Abimelech) regarding His wife Sarah; nevertheless, he was regarded as God’s friend and a man of faith. Isaac had this deceptive spirit as he too lied to King Abimelech about his wife; even so, God blessed him beyond measure in a famine season. Jacob went on further to deceive his father and rob his brother, Esau, of his birthright, and yet Jacob was set apart to start the Israelites lineage. These three Patriarch of the Israelites were not found without sin; still, God used them to accomplish His purpose on earth.
The story of King Saul and King David set the tone of God’s expectation in our relationship with Him. Both individuals had their own imperfections to deal with, but their subsequent decisions when they fell and the polarity of their actions, when confronted, differentiated them. Yes, their heart posture was what set them apart. The very essence of their being only visible and accessible to God made them different. Saul couldn’t submit his heart to God, whereas David’s heart was set on pleasing God, and so irrespective of the number of times David fell, he found himself being cleaned up and restored by his heavenly Father. We are changed from our heart which is the seat of our will, emotions and intellect. Subsequently, our daily decisions are directed from our heart. Once we set our heart right, everything else aligns with it.

So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23 TPT

Sadly, we miss this memo and put unnecessary pressure on ourselves and others to see a change. We have this expectation of perfection and holiness once you declare that you are a Christian. Therefore, we carry around a burden to see a change in us or the people in our lives, failing to realise that only God can change a person. The change God does in us begins from the heart. God never demands a change from us in our relationship with Him, but instead, He asks for our heart which He aligns to His. As we surrender our lives to Him, the Holy Spirit encourages us to pursue the Father’s will and gives us His desires, leading to His perfect plan for our lives. This process moulds us, and we begin to see the transformation in our lives.

I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands, Ezekiel 36:26 MSG.

Growing up in my Christian faith, I witnessed people change their personalities and behaviours to fit in with some Christian circles. I believe this expectation of pious-living deters non-believers from the Christ we represent. Jesus had amongst his disciples all sort of personalities, and He also embraced all kinds of people in His three years of ministry. Luke tells us of Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector at Jericho, who had a heart transformation after meeting Jesus, and consequently, he decided to give half of his possession away. Jesus didn’t command him to change, but one encounter with the Saviour caused a shift in him. Luke 19:8-10 NLT.
There was an incident in Acts chapter 15 when other Jews from Judea insisted that new believers had to get circumcised before they can be saved. This brought a lot of division and created unnecessary burdens for these non-Jewish believers. The apostles sent a message that, what was required from them, was a heart change and not a physical change. Acts 15:8-11 NLT.

What does God do?

Our role in a relationship with God is submission to His will. When we submit to His will:

1. He changes us as His Spirit rests on us and aligns us to His perfect will for us. We become a new creation, 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT. This is what happened to the apostle Paul, a persecutor of the followers of Jesus. When he finally met Jesus on the road to Damascus, there was a change in him, and his destiny changed. The Spirit of God that encountered him did all the work in him; he couldn’t have changed of his own merit.
2. He moulds us like a potter moulds clay into any vessel he likes, to be more like Christ. We can then look up to Christ and live our lives like Him. Then we start asking the question, “What would Jesus do?” The transformation is from the Holy Spirit in us. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT.
3. We will see a mind renewal as our thoughts are replaced with spiritual thoughts. Romans 12:2 NKJV.

How does it happen?

The Holy Spirit lives in us and changes us from inside out. His Spirit enables us to bear the fruits of the Spirit, which are the evidence of a spirit-filled life. Galatians 5:22-23 NLT. Looking for change on the outside is not how God’s Spirit operates. God had to remind Prophet Samuel when he went to anoint Isreal’s new king in Jesse’s house. But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7. An authentic life change happens on the inside first before it manifests outside.

God, the Changer

The change you desire in yourself and others is not of yourself but the power of God at work in you. Manage your expectations of the people around you, especially when you hold them in high esteem. No man can change themselves; they may try, but we know eventually it all falls apart. We have a lot of new year resolutions to attest to this. Allow God’s power to do its work in you by submitting your heart to Him. This is a daily renewal and submission as we read His Word and talk to Him. God wants you to take the burden and pressure off yourself to see a change in yourself or a loved one. Instead, focus on re-aligning your heart to your Father and let Him do the work only He can do. Instead of praying to see the change in a loved one, pray for a love encounter with our Saviour.
A while back, my friends and I went on a journey to pray for our husbands. Our sole intention was to see a change in our dear hubbies. Little did we know that God had a different plan for us. To our disappointment, the first step in the process in the Power of a praying wife by Stormie Omartian was a heart change in us. When we finally got over that hurdle, all the prayers we had to pray for our husbands were about submitting their heart to God’s will. We didn’t get to pray about our husbands changing but instead, we focused our prayers on committing them into God’s hands in the various aspects of their lives. As we will later find out, God did and continues to do something in our hubbies, but not what we had in mind, but much better.
This experience taught me that the best way to see the change you desire in people is to pray for God to change your heart and their heart and allow His Spirit to cause the change that needs to happen. So the next time you are looking for a change in yourself about a particular situation, change your eye view and focus on the right source. Like the apostles, we will take the pressure off ourselves and the people around us, so they can be free to worship God in spirit and truth. My prayer is that God will mould your heart that you can work in unison with Him to turn the world into how He intended it to be.

Prayer

Thank you, Father, that you love me just as I am. I pray that you will give me the grace to submit to Your will so Your hand can mould me into the person You have created me to be. Help me to be patient with myself and the people You have blessed me with so Your Spirit can do Your good work in us in Your own way. Amen.

May you be filled with the Fullness of God and the Power of His Love!