How Does Change Happen?

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

In part 1 (May 19) we discussed Peter’s denial of Jesus and the change that took place in him later due to being filled with the Holy Spirit. The change was immediate. Many times, however, change occurs over a long period of time. Slow progressive change is not normally seen as miraculous, but it sure can be.

Years ago I read an article by a theologian who said when people came to him with certain problems, he would act as a spiritual doctor, prescribing passages of scripture as medicine. He would tell people to take their medicine (scripture) daily. Over time, they would begin to see change in their lives. Why would a theologian do that? God’s word is powerful and He uses it to change the human heart.

Change depends on a person’s willingness to repent and humbly turn to Jesus for help. It depends on trusting Him to work and make the change in a person’s life by abiding in Christ and walking by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). It is a molding process.

As we see from Hebrews 4:12 above, God’s word is a big part of that process. If a Christian stops reading the Bible on a regular basis, change will fall by the wayside. I believe that renewing our minds (Romans 12:2) comes by the word of God and prayer. With comments like “bread of life” (John 6:35) and Jesus pointing out that scripture is all about Him in John 5:39, I’m convinced that the Bible is spiritual food, along with prayer, that should be consumed every day… like food. I also see God’s word as spiritual medication or vitamins.

Remember that change usually takes time. It’s really a lifelong process. Don’t be discouraged at your slow change. It might be so slow that it doesn’t seem like you're changing at all, but spiritual growth leading to maturity is marked by the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. We talk about it in church often. Fruit takes time to grow.

With that being said, we need to allow ourselves to focus on Jesus and not necessarily the results of growth. It's nice to see fruit developing, but if we focus on that, our focus is off. If we focus on Christ and abide in Him like a tree rooted in the ground, growth will come. Fruit is a byproduct of abiding in Christ. Yes, steer clear of sin, but remember that abiding in Christ and walking by the Spirit will cause those sinful desires to diminish. Abiding in Christ and renewing ourselves by the word of God is the key.