Should you change?

Have you ever wondered, “Should I change?”

One man did, although not necessarily the way his wife thought, as captured in this snippet from In Other Words:

Randy was unsure about his choice of clothes for church so he sought some counsel from his wife. He asked, “Do you think I should change?”

She took advantage of the opportunity and replied, “It depends — are you talking about changing your shirt or making a wholesale change as a human being?”

It’s not uncommon for us to worry about our choice of clothes and think nothing of the choices we make of how we live and who we are as a human being, which is backward thinking according to scripture …

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life — whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?mAnd why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need,” Matthew 6:25-33.

Whether you should change your shirt is up to you, but here’s a simple answer to the bigger question of whether you should change: Unless you have become like Jesus Christ, then yes, you should change!

God’s priority for you and me is that we become like Christ. Until that is accomplished, we still need to change!

“Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did,” 1 John 2:6.

“For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps,” 1 Peter 2:21.

“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy,” Ephesians 4:21-24.

“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ,” Ephesians 4:11-13.

“But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord — who is the Spirit — makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image,” 2 Corinthians 3:16-18.

Until you become like Christ, you should embrace change, relying upon (and cooperating with) the Holy Spirit for it.

So what do you think — do you need to change?

Scotty