Life Changes

      History is a great teacher even if it is only your own personal history. When I look back over my life I soon come to the conclusion that I could have done a lot better especially in my attitudes toward people. Perhaps it was due to the competitive spirit that seems to be so prevalent in our society. There is that desire to be number one in whatever we do. In music, I was “groomed” to play a solo every year in order to receive a review and a possible medal and then to go on to state each year and do the same thing over and over. We competed for grades and educational achievement and to see just how high we could score on the test given at the end of each school year. We always seemed to have a desire to be at the top of any list that was available except the “naughty” list. The same attitude often carries over into our adult years as people become less important to us. After graduation from high school, I couldn't tell you any facts about my friends as my concern was more self centered than people centered. Where did I go wrong? Titus 3:3-5 says,”For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” 

      Paul gave some amazing answers to the above question and he mentioned it in Ephesians 2:1 and Second Timothy 3:1-5 as he described society in general. We were not God centered but self centered. Paul, in his writing to Titus, explained about our previous state which was characterized by foolishness, disobedience, deceiving and serving lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy and even being hateful. Wow! What a description and I would like to say it all applies to someone else, but it applied to me in my past. It is a dark picture of the life of an unbeliever, of one who is not born again. Paul went on to say however that there was one of God's great contrast statements that begins with the word, “but.” The Lord Jesus Christ come on the scene and changes are made. There are no works of righteousness that we could possible do in order to attain this wonderful status. It is all of God. “but, according to His mercy He saved us...” How great is that? Some of the disciples had a desire to be “first” in heaven in trying to determine who was going to sit where but the Lord Jesus Christ but a stop to that right away. When you get to heaven, the most important thing will be to worship the Son for what He did on the cross in His death, burial and resurrection. Revelation 4 and 5 will become a reality as it is proclaimed that “Worthy is the Lamb...” Praise God that He can change people like you and me.