Some things never change.
Tonight was the last night of VBS at our church. The children had a good time, and learned about Jesus at the same time. It is our hope their lives were changed by the lessons they were taught, and the Christ centered crafts they did. It has always been the goal, of every Vacation Bible School, to teach the children about the love of Jesus Christ, and there by, changing their lives. After the children left this evening a few of us stayed behind to clean up. We changed a cave back into a sanctuary, and the craft room back into a classroom. This change took us quite a while, but change never happens instantly.
As a rule people don’t like change, it can make you feel uncomfortable, disoriented, and out-of-place. Some people try to change their outward appearance hoping it will change who they are on the inside. Or perhaps their constant changing of their outward appearance, i.e. hair color, make up, tattoos, and piercings, are a desperate cry for people to notice who they are on the inside. Some changes we have no control over, like what gravity does to a persons body, or changes that occure during cancer treatment. Some peoples hair will fall out, and when it comes back in it may be a different color, different texture, and it may have gone from straight to curly, or vice versa.
Change is hard, and uncomfortable, yet people on New Year’s Eve will make resolutions for the New Year hoping in desperation that they will change. I am sure most of you heard the expression; some things never change! And usually this statement is made about a person’s behavior, or a circumstance that they find themselves in over and over. So how do we go about making a change in our life for the good? What can we do differently that we won’t end up coming full circle, and find ourselves staring at the same thing we did before? The first thing we have to do is become Christ centered. Once we do that we are assured, if our conversion was sincere and meant from the heart, we will become a new creature. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. To assure this does not happen to us the Bible tells us not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds to prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Yes change is hard, but when it is for the better it can also be enormously rewarding, like when a diet actually works. But in reality nothing remains the same except one thing, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and for ever. And that is something we can count on to give us strength, courage, and patience for our renewal day by day. When babies are born they change so much the first year, you can almost see it happening right before your eyes. The same is true of a new Christian, a babe in Christ if you will, they change so much the first year or two, you can hardly believe your eyes, old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. You will think new things, you will talk a new way, and you may make new friends, but one thing is for sure, if you accepted Christ into your heart, things will change.
As parents it is important for us to help our children understand the lessons they are taught in Sunday school or VBS. Quiz them on what they did, what verses they learned, and what they thought it meant. If they have memory verses help them learn them, including the references in the Bible where they are found. It is inevitable that children will change, it is called ‘growing up’. And we are challenged in the Bible to, raise up a child in the way they should go. And it comes with the promise that, when they are old they will not depart from it. So we have our job to help our children change while they are yet young, so they can reap the reward of that change when they are older.
We as authors know a lot about change, as it is required to rewrite a story multiple times in order to get the results we wish. Why then, would we think change would not be required in our lives, to get the results we wish? Remember the definition of insane, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. If you want your life to be different, change must happen. And the best change, is to change to the greatest commandment, love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Then you will be transformed, and that kind of change is a very good thing.
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
I Corinthians 15:51
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
II Corinthians 5:17
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
II Corinthians 4:16
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Hebrews 13:8