“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.” Psalm 139:23
Change. Just hearing this word makes many people shudder. We like to stay in our cozy little comfort zones. Doing the same routines day after day after day. We like everything to stay the same, so that we don’t have to deal with anything difficult. We think that having things the same makes life easier to control. A person who is obsessive-compulsive has various routines and rituals that must be performed in exactly the same way every single time. This can be their way of trying to control a life that to them feels very out of control. Change is scary because it is different and brings about new challenges and responsibilities, but it is necessary and very beneficial to a healthy, growing walk with the Lord. God is never done with us, until the day of the second coming or death.
“And I am sure that God, who began a good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again,” (Philippians 1:6). So, according to this verse, God still has work to do within you, changing your heart, and it won’t be finished until you get to heaven.
So, instead of being afraid of change, we need to embrace it. Even welcome it. Because changes that occur in our personal lives drive us to become more dependent on God. Change is what brings us closer to being the person God envisioned when He created us. So many times we think of change as being bad, but really, eternally, it is for the best. It does not please God when we resist change. That is where we begin to think we have all of our ducks in a row. We are reading our Bibles every day, tithing, giving time in service to God, and the list goes on. But when we begin to focus on all the good things we are doing, instead of who we are on the inside, then we risk becoming lukewarm. And God wants to spit those who are lukewarm out of his mouth. He hates it when we become complacent and lukewarm.
God wants us to constantly, every day be praying the words of this song, “Change my heart, oh, God. Make it ever true. Change my heart, Oh, God. May I be like you.” As so many things have changed and are changing in my life this year, I have realized how much I needed a change to have my routine interrupted so that I would get a fresh yearning for God. I had gotten into a routine that I enjoyed and was proud of. But God is asking more of me than that. He wants me to go farther than I’ve ever been in my relationship with Him. He is asking me to newly seek Him and His word every day and to search my own heart to find new areas to work on. We can change our behaviors to make it appear that we are right with God, but only God can change our hearts to make them pleasing to Him. But, he can’t change your heart if you do not allow him to. When we close up the doors of our hearts, then God is forced to get our attention in other ways. Those ways are not usually what we desire and often come in the form of change. Changes in our outside environment can change our hearts on the inside, depending on how we respond to these changes. It can spur us on to seek God and change our hearts to be more like Christ, or we can close up the doors of our hearts and become bitter. It is a choice we must make daily.
Please take a moment to examine your own heart and life today and think about what changes God wants to make in your heart. Out of a changed heart, come changed actions and attitudes. If you are struggling with a habit or attitude, instead of concentrating on that behavior, ask God to change that area of your heart. It may be a slow process, but he will continue to work inside of you until that glorious day when you see the true glory of the Lord.
And remember: if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be what you’ve always been, and you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten. God wants so much more for each of us then we could ever imagine. He wants us to go even farther than we’ve ever been. Let’s find out just how wonderful that is!
