"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come!"
2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
Christmas is next week and our family get-togethers start tomorrow. I've always heard that each family probably has an uncle that just doesn't quite fit. I look around my family and just don't see him. Does that mean that I'm him? I think I'll take a closer look and see if I can spot him.
You probably won't be able to change that person that rubs you the wrong way or makes you cringe when he starts to talk. Demanding better table manners might not get the results you long for. Sometimes he (or she!) is doing it on purpose just to see how you will respond.
Your response may be the only thing you can change. And change might take a supernatural effort. That's why God gives us the Holy Spirit who indwells us. Our ability to change is very limited. Getting my boy to change socks might be easier!
So the Spirit changes me. That's good on several levels. First, he's more powerful than me so he can make the hard changes. Second, he's smarter than me so he knows what changes really need to be made. Third, he has the big picture in mind rather than just the immediate circumstance.
I am so encouraged thinking about what the Spirit can do in my life! Those attitudes and actions that he will bring about in me will help me be a better Christian, husband, father, friend, pastor, and UNCLE! And the changes will help me see others differently. I may or may not get to the point that I don't notice the blemishes on others but I should be able to not focus on them.
The only thing standing in the way of the Spirit's good work in my life is me. He is all powerful and patient at the same time. He can force these changes upon me but often waits until I surrender my will to his. Pray that God will help you surrender your will to his so that you can become the new creation he desires.
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