Connected in The Word 6-3-26
As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. Matthew 9:9
I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH CHANGE!
I’m not opposed to change. I like the idea of change. I think change can be a very good thing. I’ve made lots of changes during my life and the results have turned out great. For example, just the other day I parked in a different parking spot at work, took a shower 5 minutes later than I normally do, and used a different mug for my morning coffee – ALL IN THE SAME DAY! Granted I moved my car back to “my spot” later that day, took a very fast shower as to not throw off the rest of my nighttime routine, and spent 10 minutes looking for my favorite mug before using a different one. I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH CHANGE!
You may not have the same “issues” with change that I have, but we all deal with difficult changes in life. Maybe you are starting a new job or retiring from one you’ve had for your whole life. Maybe you are heading off to college or maybe your child is heading off to college. Maybe you are getting married or maybe your spouse of 60 years just died. Maybe you’ve just found out you have cancer, just attended your first AA meeting, or found out your spouse wants a divorce. Sometimes change is very hard.
In the verse above, Matthew experienced a major LIFE CHANGE! He was a tax collector, and then he was one of the Lord’s 12 disciples. When Jesus shows up in our lives – EVERYTHING CHANGES! Jesus changes us from being God’s enemy to being God’s child. Our sins are forgiven and life and salvation are ours. Everything changed for Matthew that day, but Matthew would continue to face difficult changes in his life. There would still be challenges, still be temptations, and still be sin. Choosing to confess my sins and turn from them day after day is easily the most difficult type of “change” I face in life. But thanks be to God that my salvation is not dependent on my ability to change. It is rooted in God’s ability to change me by the power of the Gospel. Jesus is risen from the dead. That changes everything!
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