Ready For A Change?

“This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.” Colossians 1:6 NLT

You know the feeling. You look in the mirror and something just doesn’t look right. You don’t feel right. Something needs to change. 

Or maybe you find yourself going through the motions of your day. You get up and go through your routine— you brush your teeth, brush your hair, have your coffee and head to work — and in the midst of it there is a gnawing emptiness. You know that you are doing what you are supposed to, but buried under all that sameness is a question: Why? What is the purpose?

You feel like you are heading aimlessly into an unclear future, a thick fog of question. You need clarity. You need meaning. You need a change.

I get you, Friend. I think that we have all been there at one time or another, but there is hope. Really, there is! Whether you have been following Christ for a long time or this Jesus thing is a new idea for you, what you need is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Why? Because the fruit of the Gospel is a transformed life. 

My journey with Jesus began a long time ago and when I look back over my meandering path I see miles and miles of change. Since I first said YES to Jesus He has been changing me one choice at a time. And what He has done for me, I know He will do for you. If you need a change in your life, the answer is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I’ll bet you are wondering how God has transformed my life. If you are really interested in a change then you want some hope of what that change might look like for you. How has God transformed my life and what might transformation look like for you?

 Purpose — Since I first said YES to Jesus I have found myself living a life of purpose. The details are not always clear because purpose is not about accomplishing tasks. Accomplishing tasks are only a part of fulfilling purpose.  In Christ I am connected to the larger purposes of God. My purpose is to know Christ and participate in fulfilling His purposes on the earth. That is going to look differently at different seasons of my life, the tasks will change, but the overall purpose never changes, and it anchors my soul. I know I have a part in something eternal and so much bigger than myself. That has been an awesome part of my transformation. Even in those replaying  routines I can learn to know Christ better and look for ways to make Him known. Purpose permeates every day.  

Personal —  Somehow I know that I am personally connected to a personal God. From the moment that I surrendered my life,  kneeling by my bed as a college student in a rented room – I realized that I can’t do life on my own — I have become aware of God’s personal presence in my life. I can’t really explain it. It is supernatural, not natural. But I know that He is with me. 

Awareness of His presence changes my perspective. I know that I am not alone. I have His help and encouragement. Because of Him, I have become someone I never expected to be. I have done things I never imagined I would do. His presence in me calls out the potential I was created with. And, regardless of how old I get, I am aware that He continues to call out more. I am not who I was, but I am not yet who I will be.

Even though sometimes those routines of life seem to take over, in the midst of the sameness I am aware that I am not alone, that He is with me in it, and that infuses my routine with His presence and a security that He is at work in it all. Whether I recognize it or not. 

I have an awareness of God’s personal involvement in my life and that is a glorious, overwhelming and humbling feeling. Even when I don’t know what the future holds, He is with me. What else do I really need?

 Perspective—  This is the biggest transformation since I responded to the Gospel. I see the world differently because of His presence. I see the mundane in my life with a sense of purpose. I see people differently. 

Each person is a unique treasure made in the image of God. I really believe that. Even the person who most annoys me is a treasure and needs to be treated accordingly. There is more to each individual than I can see. The same potential that God is calling out in me, He is calling toward in them. Whether or not they recognize it. Part of my purpose is to help them recognize His voice. 

I see the turmoil of life in this world. I feel the pain. I mourn the losses. Yet, I don’t get overwhelmed by the ache of it all. I don’t get swept away by anxiety about how history is going to play out. I don’t get caught up in the conflict of the moment. Of course, it is disturbing and raises all kinds of questions. I wonder about a lot. But at the end of the day what matters most is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to see the world from His perspective. I want to have His heart for the people involved in all this mess of a world. 

What does He want most? He wants people to return to Him and receive the wonderful gift of salvation that He purchased with His own blood. That supersedes who is in political power or what is happening in the economy or what world power seems to be working out an evil plan. Don’t get me wrong. Those things matter, but they are secondary. I can’t let them overshadow the Gospel. Christ First. Christ always. 

 So, my Friend, are you ready for a change? Do you want to rediscover a life of purpose? Are you ready to become aware of God’s personal presence in your daily life? Can you catch the wind of a fresh perspective blowing into your life on the wings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Here’s my challenge to you today: Commit, or recommit, to the make the Gospel of Jesus your priority and respond to the truth of the Good News, the truth about God’s wonderful grace sent through the cross of Jesus Christ. As you do that I guarantee that it will bear fruit in your life. You will be transformed, not just one time, but continually. Isn’t that an amazing journey worth taking?

Key Thought: The fruit of the Gospel is a transformed life. 

A Scripture to Consider: “This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.” Colossians 1:6 NLT

A YES Challenge: Have you made the Gospel your priority? Set this reminder on your phone at least twice a day: Christ first. Christ always. 

Prayer:  Dear Lord, I have lost track of the Gospel in the midst of living my everyday life. I need a change. I need Your purposes to be the priority in my life. I need Your Presence. I need Your perspective. Thank You for the truth of your wonderful grace. Help me to respond to that truth on a daily basis so that the Gospel will bear fruit in my life. Transform me, Lord. Help me to become all that You want me to become. Amen.