People are unchangeable.
People just can’t change.
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever said it? Something along the lines of: “Don’t even try. He’ll never change.”
This is one statement that the leadership at our church knows not to say around me. It’s a statement that gets me riled up pretty quickly. My statement to the person who says it is usually along the lines of:
“The reason I know your statement is not true is that God changed me and God changed you, and everyone knows how rotten we both were. So if God could change you and me, then He can change anyone!”
Centuries ago, Moses told God, “The people, among whom I am, are 600,000 on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, so that they may eat for a whole month.’ Should flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Or should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?”
When this immense group of people asked for meat to eat, God said he would supply it to them for a whole month until they all were sick of meat. Moses told God it was an impossible task. And God said to Moses: “Is the Lord’s power limited?”
I figure that God has has a better understanding of the situation than Moses. And the Bible indicates He did. “Now there went forth a wind from the LORD and it brought quail from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp.” The people then gathered enough quail to fill up ten 50-gallon tubs per person.
Back to today:
I hear people implying that, “Our nation cannot change for the better.”
I hear people indicating that, “Our community cannot change for the better.”
And I hear people state, “That person cannot change for the better.”
All of these are false. God says that people, communities, and nations can change. If we say that they can’t, then we are saying to God that He isn’t big enough. Something Moses learned was not true.
My God is big enough to change the people I know. My God is big enough to change my community, my state, and our nation. I know this is true, because He was big enough to change me and He was big enough to change so many of the people in my church.
If we will act on God’s word with faith – living out what He has called us to do – then He can dramatically change us, our church, and our community. None of these are unchangeable. So is there a responsibility of a church family to attempt to make a change in the community in which they worship?
What is the role of your church to make a change in your community?
What could individual church members do to begin making some of these changes?
Develop a friendship with a person different from me?
Engage with the local school?
Participate in Mentoring / Big Brother programs?
Pray with people different from me?
This is just a short list to begin with. What else?
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