What Do You Mean "Change?"

Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when there’s a log in your eye? You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye. 

--Matthew 7:3-5

Q: How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer 1: At least 15. One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad.

Answer 2: Change?????

As a pastor, it is a constant part of my role in preaching, teaching, and leadership to point people toward change.  In fact, the church stands up to the world and invites it to a better way of life by putting Christ first – if the world would only listen.

Here is the hard truth: we want others to do what we are unwilling to do ourselves.  When we can point back 20, 30, 60+ years to the way that we have done things, do we think this compels others to examine their bad habits?  When the world cannot see the difference that our church members make in the community (much less the church as a whole in the surrounding area) why would they listen to our call to be different.

Before we begin to ask others to change, we are called to be changed ourselves.  This does not mean that we change the paint on the walls or (God forbid) change the color of the carpet.  Those are actually superficial changes.  Instead, we are called to change the nature of who we are and the basis upon which we make our decisions. 

 

What if the church was transformed into the Body of Christ that consistently carried our acts of justice, mercy, and humility?  What if we stood firm with those who cannot stand for themselves?  What if our love for each other was so strong and so apparent that the whole world looked amazed and said, “See how they love each other!”

We want to change the world for Christ and, at times, we feel that there is nothing that we can do to change ‘them.’ Our assumption points to our mistake.  Christ invites us to change. He invites us to be transformed.  He calls us to go and teach and make disciples – every one of us.  As we change and let the light of Christ shine through us, others will see our work and give glory to God (Matthew 5:16).

Grace and Peace,