The Lord Changes Us
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6
I have known Christians who say “I can never love my enemies,” or “I can never put God ahead of my family.” These people did not fully understand the Lord’s commands and they couldn’t do these commands because they were trying to do them in their own strength. We cannot change ourselves without the Lord’s divine help and power.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29 ESV) We are being molded to conform to the image of Christ through the power of the Spirit. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:14) The Spirit leads us to follow the Lord’s commands: have a church family, read the Word, pray, and seek to overcoming sinful habits. This is how the Lord renews our mind and changes our hearts. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) We strive to fulfill the Lord’s will, but we must pray for his divine power to help us to be victorious. If we don’t pray for his divine power, then we are depending on our own feeble power. Necessary for the Lord’s power to change us, we do our best to follow the Spirit by attending church, reading the Word, praying, and overcoming evil with good. The Lord’s plan for us to overcome bad habits is to replace those habits by doing good. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21) Start striving to do good; pray for others, encourage others, and tell them the love God has for them.
The greatest change God makes is filling our hearts with his divine love. He answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31) No commandment is greater than loving God and our neighbor because love makes all the other commands natural to our new Godly character. Without our hearts filled with God’s love, obeying the commands will be a struggle. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. (Romans 7:15) This is striving to do the right thing without the Spirit. Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2) The Spirit fills our hearts with God’s love and the Lord’s commands are no longer a book of rules instead they describe our new Godly character.
Today fill your heart with the Lord’s love by reflecting his love by ministering to others. We have to give love away to attain love in our hearts.
Prayer: Lord, guide me in the Spirit to reflect your love to others and continually increase your love in my heart. In Jesus name, Amen