Change we can believe in

Lately, the airwaves and written media have been buzzing with talk and hopes of change. Politicians make many promises about what they will change in order to attract people to give them their vote. They say it is because, they understand that people are tired of how things are. What they will change exactly, if they are elected, is very often not at all or only inadequately described. For one reason or another, we all may agree that change needs to occur—but where do we start? Is it at the place where current political candidates suggest, by changing laws, policies, tax codes, and involving the government in more (or less) of our daily human affairs?

I would like to suggest that change needs to begin with us, you and me. We can have most generous policies to equalize the possession of wealth, if you and I remain jealous and greedy, we will still be unhappy, unsatisfied people wanting more. We can institute the broadest environmental programs to preserve our earth, but if the sinful nature of humankind is not dealt with, destructive behavior to creation will still devastate the beauty of our planet.

God’s Word recognizes our inherent sinfulness, the fact that we all have missed the mark, and fail to measure up. The letter written to the first century church in Corinth reminds us that we have been unjust, abusive of others, the earth, and everything in it. After listing a number of sinful behaviors, the letter states …”a number of you know from experience what I am talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. [But] since then you have been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by God present in us, the Spirit”! Now that is change, we can believe in! Jesus alone has the capacity to change a sinner into a saint. Not even the best set of laws ever given, the Ten Commandments were able to deliver a change like that. The death and resurrection of the son of God was required to bring about that kind of transformation. In this season of many promises to “save us”, let us remember that no one but Jesus is capable of truly changing us!