I used to think that I have never changed. That way, when someone stopped talking to me or got mad at me I could blame them. Because, as Popeye would say, "I am what I am". I've never been a person that pretended to be someone else. I hate being fake and I hate it when other people are fake to me. I try to be polite when I would rather be rude, but I'm basically the same person no matter where I am, good or bad. I have a hard time hiding my emotions when I've had a bad day. If I'm a little crabby, everyone knows it. Good or bad, I don't hide my feelings very well!
But it's not true that I never change, because everyone changes. Everyone should change. The Bible says that we should be "transformed". The only person that's constant is God, He is the only One that can never change.
Because the human brain can absorb lists better than block paragraphs, I'm going to list 4 things that should always change in a Christian's life.
1. Our Love for God
If you love God the same way now that you did when you were first saved, then you are not living a life for Christ. As you learn more and more about Christ's sacrifice and love for you and as you see the blessings that God gives in your life, your love for Him should grow continually. It should change and morph into something you would never dream could be possible. We love Him because He first loved us and since we learn about love from God, and because God's love is more than we can ever imagine, our love for Him should grow constantly.
2. Our Stand on the Bible
My children are taught to respect God's word. We have family devotions, we make sure they have time in the mornings to have their own devotion time, and we try to instill a love for God's word. But they don't have a love for God's word like they should. Because they're children. They lose their Bible, say they read it when I know they didn't, memorize scripture without grasping the meaning behind it. But as they grow physically I pray that how they view the Bible grows as well.
3. Beliefs
It is important to know what you believe and why. It's only thing to memorize a creed or a list of beliefs, but to actually know why those things are important and why you believe them is essential. A Christian should always be learning and growing in regards to their personal beliefs. Not just because someone told them they should believe that way but because that is what God has shown them to be truth in His word. Once something has been determined to be truth it should never change. Truth can only come from God, therefore truth cannot change. But we should always be willing to change our preconceived beliefs and conform them to what God's word says. It would be foolish to believe something that is not true just because it's what you've always believed.
4. Love for Others
We live in such a strange and polarizing world where people are lumped into categories depending on the topic. We live in an extreme world of right and wrong where everyone has their own black and white views of what's right or wrong that everything has become a field of gray. Christians more than anyone else should not fall into the trap of categorizing people based on their actions or lifestyles. We are all sinners. Nobody is less of a sinner than another and nobody is more in need of salvation than another. We are all sinners saved by the grace of God. He died one time for all sins, which means He considered all sins to be the same. There were no "lesser sins" that were forgiven because he was beaten. All of our sins made dying on the cross necessary. When we grasp this and embrace it our love for those around us will change and we will see people as God see them; as sinners in need of a Savior. There are no whites, blacks, gays, conservatives, fundamentalists, or criminals. We're all just sinners, each and every one of us.
Change is not always a bad thing. You will change whether you want to or not. We need to make sure that when we change we are changing to be more like Christ. If the changes that are made in our lives do not point directly to Christ, then we are not changing for the better. And if you can't see change in your life good or bad, then it's probably not good. Being lukewarm in your walk with God is worse than being cold. Change for the better. Do better.