Really? Aww! Do I have to change?
Have you ever heard yourself asking this question? We do things many times out of habit. We’ve always done it that way. Or You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Do I have to change? It has been working just fine the way I have being doing it.
We have many excuses for changes in our lives. I’m working through a Bible study by Anne Graham Lotz entitled “Jesus in Me.” My sisters recommended it to me. Actually I had received the same notice they did since I do follow Anne’s daily devotionals from her website (www.annegrahamlotz.org). I started it online and then recommended it to our Ladies conversation group. So we, too, have been doing it.
She is talking about the Person of the Holy Spirit who comes into our lives at the moment we take our sins to the cross and ask Jesus to come into our lives. The Holy Spirit is the invisible Jesus whom the Father—God—sent to us after Jesus rose from the death on the cross and ascended to heaven. He lives in us. I’ve know that since I was seven years old when I asked Jesus into my heart. I know that the Holy Spirit came to live with me and has never left.
But this week as we were talking about the purity of the Holy Spirit—His name IS Holy—Anne’s words during session 7 reminded me I needed to have an inside bath. I needed to let God cleanse me again from the inside out in areas I have not really paid any attention to for a long time.
So the question came to me, Do I have to change? Of course, I do. I really really really want to have Jesus fully in my life every day! I don’t want to miss anything He wants me to do. I don’t want any lingering sin to hinder me from being totally in His Presence all the time.
Adjustments will come in your life when you prepare to be obedient in every area. You cannot continue life as usual, or stay where you are, and go with God all at the same time.
Another also said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” Luke 9:61
You can’t wait to follow the Lord. He is asking you now to join Him in His work around you.
Be prepared for God to change YOU for the better. Take the time to let Him cleanse YOU so You can be all that He created you to become! He is always faithful! He will change you as He cleanses you.
The Scriptures say, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness! I wanted a full cleansing! I’ve been there before and I know I can be there again the moment when I’ve surrendered all to Him.
Anne used one of my favorite verses:
“Be ye holy as I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16 KJV. That is a command. Be holy. No if’s, and’s or but’s. Just be holy. So God can through His Holy Spirit make us holy.
So I’ll answer your question: Do I have to change?
Yes, if you want the most out of the life God created for you to live. You were created to make a difference in people’s lives. You must be holy as He is holy to truly touch others.
Let’s seek daily together to be clean and ready to hear His Voice, His whispers, so we can fully live as He has planned for us to live!
In His Faithfulness . . .
