Be An Agent Of Change, Not A Victim-Part -5 Series

The Change we need and we’re called to change.

St Paul said in Romans 12:2 “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.”

We often think God has assigned us to change the world around us when in reality He is interested in changing you and me in order to make each of us “a vessel of honor.” Bible says “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.” (2 Tim. 2:21). God often uses the most unlikely people in the most unlikely places to teach us some of life’s most difficult lessons. And just when we think we’ve arrived, He is instructing us further.

Change is something we all need. It is an ongoing process of life. With its constant flux, life demands adjustments for our schedules and plans. Essentially, change is the new norm. But people's spiritual lives call for more than slight changes to the calendar. Their lives are in need of transformation. Paul wrote, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come" (2 Corinthians 5:17,). The very heart of the Christian faith revolves around change, but it is not turning over a new leaf - it is living out a new life. The marks of a transformed life are merely the signs of Christ’s presence in us. They are the witness of the Spirit’s work in our lives. When we see these marks, it is because God keeps His covenant to conform us to the image of His Son.

In the Old Testament, we see how this cycle played out in the life of Solomon. He tried to change through human ingenuity when he needed divine intervention. And he was the smartest person - ever. The book of Ecclesiastes provides a classical example of how relevant the Bible can be in today's world. The title of the book comes from the Greek word for "preacher" or "teacher." He goes through a list of things he tried in seeking fulfillment: career achievements, materialism, alcohol, Pleasure, even knowledge, His conclusion? All of it is "meaningless." Solomon began as a man poised for greatness. Both his wisdom and wealth were legendary in the ancient world. Ecclesiastes 5:10 says “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” "Did all this wisdom, wealth, and power make Solomon happy?" The answer is NO! With all Solomon's wisdom, he understood one thing: "For God gives to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit." (Ecclesiastes 2:26) "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Therefore to live differently, we must think differently, to think differently, we must have a right information, understanding and purpose to change and it does not easily happen, we must make deliberate choice daily. What you read or listen to has the ability to change the way you think or change the way you respond to a situation in a time of dilemma. What you read, listen to and watch the most will probably cause you to change or transform into something else. When Plato expressed the ultimate purpose and great imperative of philosophy with this command, “know yourself,” he had struck upon a valuable insight. If we would know our purpose in life, how we should relate to the world and to others around us, what our goals and dreams and desires should consist of, how we should spend our time, and then we must know who we are.

However, this is not so easy to put into practice. Who really knows what he is like, deep down inside? Do we really know how our minds function? Do we really know what we actually want or need? Can we really know ourselves if we don’t know God? I don’t think so. Or can we be happy without God? Again, I don’t think so. As I know that God is the Source of all life, including His only-begotten Son Jesus, the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:24 says “……..Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.”