the basic message #E201

10/7/03

"Lord, change me!"  How many Christians can say they've pleaded with God to change them?  I'd tend to think that the numbers are fairly small, especially here in America.  It seems that the average American thinks he has a responsibility to exercise his "rights" to remain steadfast in whatever negative habits he might have.  Why?  Perhaps it's our "John Wayne" mentality- does anyone out there think that John Wayne, either on or off-screen, ever says, "You know, I think I need to make some changes in my life- be a little more sensitive to the needs of others."  Yeah, right. 

 Not too many years ago road-rage was pretty much limited to men, but today we're seeing more cases of women involved in this deadly game.  I think the reason is pretty simple- women have become so much like men in the last 10-20 years that they have begun to pick up our bad habits.  Read the DWI section of your newspaper- the percentage of women getting busted for driving drunk is increasing sharply.  Enough of this- let's move on.

1 John 1:10

If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Okay, does this bring things into focus?  You know, it's kind of funny how folks that need to change the most are the very ones that are the last to even consider it.  There's an old saying that goes something like this: "Advice- the wise don't need it and fools won't heed it."  Apparently the same holds true for the word of God- the wise are already living it and the lost and mistaken just don't get it.  Move on, John.  The passage above from 1st John is a real blockbuster- John just comes right out and tells us that we're all sinners.  With that thought in mind, the wise person will admit that sin is bad, and that we must change, right?  Unfortunately the luke-warm church has propagated the lie that "all you gotta do is believe" rather than, "repent and believe".  If you think you can go on living a life filled with sin, then you must also believe that every murderer is likewise going to Heaven.  No?  Then where is the line drawn?  I don't know, but I live by a basic rule of thumb: if my life is characterized by selfishness and hate, I'm going to Hell.  If my life contains selfishness and hate but I'm constantly pleading to God to change my life, I'm in alignment with God's will, hence, I think I'm Heaven bound.

So here's the challenge for you and me: begin praying for God to change our lives.  Don't know what to ask for?  How about using Jesus as your example?  Remember him?  He's the guy you claim as your leader.  What does Jesus want to change in our lives?  Material worship- we Americans have an insatiable desire to have more "stuff" than anyone.  The prayer: "Lord God, please change me from thinking about what I want to thinking about what I can do for others much more needy than myself."  What else?  How about observing the law, civil law that is.  How so?  Drive the speed limit, don't run red lights, don't park in handicap zones or fire lanes and don't litter.  Anything else?  Sure, but you get the idea.  Write to me and tell me about the change you asked God for and what happened after you asked.  (basicchristian@aol.com)