15 Nov Keep the Change (Learning to change before you have to) Part 2

Last week we began this new series and Through this teaching session, my goal is to teach all of us to change proactively instead of reactively!  The Bible tells us in Psalm 55:19, “Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.”  Now please don’t be taken aback by the word “fear.”   In the Hebrew language it’s not talking about “fright” but reverence or respect for God.  In other words, the reason we don’t change is we don’t truly respect God enough.  

Please allow me to share with you “10 Channels of Change”:

 1. Most people change just enough to get away from their problems…not enough to solve them.

Remember the story I told you about my restoration to health?  Most people would have done just enough to temporarily feel better and then once the crisis is over, go back to their old bad habits.  We treat God like a spare tire and only bring Him out in emergencies.  Then when the emergency is over, say, “Ok God, get back in the trunk” not knowing we are almost guaranteeing ourselves more emergencies!

 2. Most people want to change their circumstances to improve their lives, instead of changing themselves to improve their circumstances.

Your outward circumstances will never rise above your inward portrait.  Never try to get ahold of your circumstances before you get ahold of yourself (see Prov. 16:32)!  As we mature in the Lord, we must change from fix it God…to fix ME God!  Jesus said, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19).  We want God to fix everything immediately for us.  Jesus knows the FIX IS IN THE FOLLOW.

Long-term fixes don’t come overnight, they occur when we follow the Lord step by step and day by day, for the rest of our lives.  In this culture we want microwave maturity and instant oatmeal fixes, however we serve a crockpot God!

Join us next week as we continue in our series…