Change that Restores

“I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.”

Jeremiah 24:7 (ESV)

Each generation wants to make their own mark on the world. They want to change it to reflect their own perspective on life. That’s why every generation is different from the one before. The world changes its priorities like it changes fashion trends. With the rapid growth of knowledge and technology, coupled with the rapid breakdown of faith-based values, we have become a society that embraces a plethora of new ideas.

We live in a time where change is seen to have importance in and of itself. Our leaders speak of change as if it’s a god that has the power to save us from ourselves. But, change isn’t always good. We need to ask, “What kind of change?” Is the change to correct an error? Does it restore something that is broken? Or, are we looking at throwing away something critical to our well-being? A change in diet can be both good or bad, so can a change in values.

We may think that changing our standards and ideals will lead to a better life. But will it? No, not if those standards and ideals are not based on biblical truth. In Hebrews Chapter 5 we see that Jesus did nothing apart from the Father. He listened to the Father and lived under His instruction. He was perfected through obedience and became our Great High Priest. He is the standard for all time. His way stands as the only path to live what we would call “our best life”, a life filled with purpose and hope. That truth, His truth, will never change. Obedience to God will prepare us for eternity with Him and put us back in communion with Him as we live out our days on earth.

If we are going to make a change, we better be sure we’re making a change built on the right foundation and heading us in the right direction. What replaces an old way can be a worse way, one that leads to chaos and destruction. Some of us may have experienced giving up a long-held belief due to peer pressure or simple convenience only to later realize that we let go of a guardrail that protected us and our family more than we realized. Through these experiences, we can learn that the cost of holding higher standards is worth the reward that follows. Choosing to live for God, no matter our circumstances, is the right foundation. Making more time to talk and listen to God is a change in the right direction. It’s the change that is needed. An endless change of jobs, spouses, neighborhoods, churches, political alliances, hobbies, and friends is not the answer. Finding the truth, and digging into it, is the answer.

What changes do you need to make? Or, is God asking you to undo a past change? There’s nothing wrong with doing an about-face when we’ve received a new awareness. In fact, we need to get good at doing that. If we’re being transformed by the renewing of our minds, we will make good changes in our lives, changes that restore us to who we were created to be. God can take a little self-awareness, peppered with humility, and a pinch of truth-curiosity, to make a new creation of us.

Learn to discern! Change is only beneficial when it leads to a purer walk with God.

Gloria Nelson

Teaching & Training Consultant

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"Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story..."

Psalm 107:2