The Change We Long For

– absolutely huge, and with all the bells and whistles of a modern home…but like every home, has a story. My husband and I didn’t need to hear what the walls had to say, because the story itself was told loudly and clearly by its tenants. Drug abuse had taken over this story, and as per the usual route, left a ravaged mess behind. 

I cried when I heard the first part of the story, and then again, when a few days later I walked into the home and saw the expensive and obviously played with toys, the family photos on the wall – a home which once housed a family with children, now housed only the young parents and their addictions.

This is a temporary win for the prince of this world. What he may not have counted on is the fact that God brought a man and wife company in – maybe just to do video surveillance? No! God brought this couple in to pray for this family. 

God loves them! But we, ourselves, were not there to judge their actions, simply to pray for their hearts to be changed by God. The change we long for….

I suppose we could have told these people that what they are doing is wrong. We could have preached at them. Would that have helped anyone? I don’t think so. We all know the difference between right and wrong. Does knowing always stop you from doing wrong?

I have pretty much made it my rule to stay out of “political” issues. I am not saying that I keep my head in the sand – oh no. But this is my thought pattern: 

Our place here is to share the message of salvation – In Mark 16:15, Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” – 

and after they have believed, “…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:20

We, ourselves, cannot stop abortion, slave trade, sexual immorality issues, pornography, drug abuse… (And yes, these are horrible and very touchy matters!)

Only through salvation and a changed heart, can God change mankind. The change we long for…

To love others, is to care about their hearts and souls. To care about the long term effects – yes, someone’s actions can be wrong and really bother you. But those nasty actions or habits will not change if their hearts and minds are not changed first.

Our first calling is not to stand on the picket lines, to point fingers, to argue on social media, but instead to  pray, to show love, to preach the gospel. Our calling is not to convict, but to lovingly share Jesus (the Gospel, see Matthew 28:19,20), and leave the convicting of sin to His Spirit.

Jesus, Himself, said, “…when I go away I will send the Helper to you… When the Helper comes, He will show the people of the world how wrong they are about sin, about being right with God, and about judgment. He will prove that they are guilty of sin, because they don’t believe in Me. He will show them how wrong they are about how to be right with God. 

The Helper will do this, because I am going to the Father. You will not see Me then. And He will show them how wrong their judgment is, because their leader has already been condemned.” John 16:7-11 ERV 

The convicting is the job of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s goal: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 

Do we want to see change in this world? Let us be doing our part. Let us show the love of Jesus. Let us “picket” before the throne of God and pray for lost souls. Let us care about hearts and souls ahead of everything else. Only God can and will do the saving and the changing – the change we long for! And in all honesty, we cannot argue with that 🥰