Today’s scripture: Matthew 7:3-4
And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
“Everybody thinks of changing humanity nobody thinks of changing himself.” That was the renowned Russian author Leo Tolstoy, taken from his work, On Anarchy, a pamphlet written in 1900 and dealing with the quarrelsome notion of revolution. His words couldn’t have been truer. Change has since become a contemporary buzzword. We all understand the imperative of bringing about change in the world around us. We have flashes of ideas of what those in government can do better and at every turn. In lesser arenas, we seem to understand why those around us should change and how. What we are often blind to is how we should change and why.
There is no underestimating the impact our individual change contributes to change in the larger context. Change is a big thing and yet a small thing; as big as the world and as small as us. Change starts with us. We should first be concerned with the log in our eyes than to be effective in removing the spec elsewhere.
We have spent the most of the week exploring the constancy of change and our role in an ever evolving world. What we must realize as we draw the curtain on this topic is that the greatest changes ought to happen in us. Our experiences as Christians are by no means static. We are ever reaching forward toward perfection, ever changing in understanding and character. The Bible urges us to keep renewing our minds, to keep beholding the Lord with unveiled faces, and to keep transforming into His image. To lose our grip on the Word of God is give ourselves over to gradual retrogression.
To embrace all the more tightly, reading, mediating and applying, is to experience continued, transformational change. This is what the world needs. This is what heaven commands. Our contributions to the world are in direct proportion to our commitment to personal growth and development at all levels. We must keep changing for the better. Let us make such a commitment today. God’s grace is available to help us; to help us be better wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, children, friends, entrepreneurs, workers, etc; to help us be better Christians. He will help you today. You transform all the more into His image. You will be a blessing to the world around you, in Jesus’ name!
Meditate and Memorize:
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18
Prayer/Confession:
Father I receive the grace and the boldness to be the light you have called me to be. I thank you because I can do all things through you and from today, I pursue the change I desire as the Holy Spirit helps me in Jesus name. Amen.
