Changed by God

If you were to look back on how (if at all) you've changed as a person over, say, the last five or ten years, would you be able to conclude that you're a markedly better person today than you were back then? What does it mean to be a better person? Perhaps that selfishness has given way to generosity, pride to humility, anger to kindness. You have greater empathy for others; you help them, forgiving them, even when they don't deserve it. You smile more than you frown. That's a tall order, wouldn't you say? And as much as we might work on becoming a "better person" – whatever that means to you – it's difficult to change entrenched attitudes and behaviours. It's almost like having a serious illness and trying to heal yourself instead of going to a doctor. There is another way, of course; that Way is Jesus, allowing the great Physician to be the healer in your heart. Here's how the Apostle Paul puts it: 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And our faces are not covered. We all show the Lord's glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change in us brings more and more glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Billy Graham expounds on that with this piece of wisdom: "Only God can give us selfless love for others, as the Holy Spirit changes us from within. This is one reason we must receive Christ, for apart from His Spirit we can never be freed from the chains of selfishness, jealousy and indifference. Will others see Christ's love in your life today?" Let Jesus transform you from the inside out. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.