Talk About a Turnaround!

"Then he restored the altar of the LORD

and offered fellowship offerings

and thank offerings on it,

and told Judah to serve the LORD,

the God of Israel."

2 Chronicles 33:16

He was about as bad as they come.  When you think of an enemy, he fit the bill.  He spent his days hunting down followers of Christ, using his power and position as a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin to persecute the early Christians.  Then he encountered the very One whose name he sought to destroy, and everything changed.  Instead of being bent on wiping out the followers of the Way, Saul became zealous for Christ and joined in with their cause (Acts 7:58-8:3, Acts 9:1-9). 

The history of Christianity is filled with such stories of radical transformation.  Coming into contact with a supernatural God who loves us beyond comprehension results in changes that cannot be generated any other way.  

Thus was the case of Manasseh, evil king of Judah who humbled himself before God and experienced a drastic change of heart.  And the same is true for me when I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and am turned from a slave of sin to one of righteousness (Romans 6:18).

New Perspective.  I was my most crucial consideration.  My plans, my safety, my comfort, it’s all that mattered to me.  Then I humbled myself before Jesus, recognizing how much I needed Him and letting Him lead me as only the Good Shepherd can. 

Over time I sensed a change.  Now I prefer God’s plan for my life, knowing it will bring Him glory.  Instead of worrying about how I can protect myself from harm, I let God do the shielding as I live for Him.  More often than not, I’m letting go of my desire to feel at ease with my familiar routine and surroundings and allowing God to push me beyond my limits.  While it is a work in progress, there is, nevertheless, a change taking place in my perspective.

Coming into contact with Jesus changes the way I see things.  For instance, I’m naturally drawn to anything that makes me feel good about myself.  Sometimes it looks good on the outside, like helping others or volunteering with charities, but my motivation is purely selfish.  I like how I feel when I’m doing good.  Jesus begins to show me, however, that I’ll never feel as complete as when I’m answering His call on my life (Ephesians 2:10).

Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior begins a transformation process that includes a radical change in my perspective.

New Mission.  Cindy Lauper famously sang about a girl’s longing for fun.  The culture in which I live gives me the impression that my purpose here on earth is to gratify my own desires, quench my own thirsts, and satisfy my own appetites.  Then I meet Jesus and He gives me a new mission.

Now it is my heart’s desire to please God, placing myself under His authority.  As His servant, it is His calling which determines my footsteps.  Instead of doing what sounds good to me, I am now driven to seek His will, resisting the temptation to do as the world does (Romans 12:2).

Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior begins a transformation process that includes a mission that comes from God instead of me.

New Values.   He had everything of which to be proud:  A strong Jewish heritage.  A stellar record.  A dependable and loyal image.  Paul possessed every reason to boast in himself.  After coming into contact with Christ, however, his values changed.  What once seemed so important now he considered as rubbish.  The only thing that mattered was knowing Christ Jesus as his Lord (Philippians 3:3-11).

What happens when I meet Jesus and invite Him into my heart?  The same as with Paul.  The pursuits I used to appreciate enough to chase wholeheartedly begin to lose their luster.   The friends I found as vital to my social life are now seen in a new, unflattering light.  The possessions that once seemed so important to my well-being now are considered as worthless.  Jesus becomes more as everything else fades in importance.

Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior begins a transformation process that includes a new set of values.

No matter how I start out, God is able to radically transform me when I invite Jesus to sit as my Lord.  I will receive a new perspective, mission and value system as He takes over as my shepherd, transforming me into His own image.  Talk about a turnaround!  That’s a change worth talking about!

As I begin this day it Is my prayer that I can cooperate with God as He works to change me.

How do I tend to cling to the old ways when the new has already come (2 Corinthians 5:17)?

When am I unwilling to adopt my new mission?

     

Then He Knew

"In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God

and humbled himself greatly 

before the God of his ancestors.

And when he prayed to him,

the LORD was moved by his entreaty

and listened to his plea;

so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom.

Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God."

2 Chronicles 33:12-13

Sometimes it takes a crisis or tragedy to set thing right in my life.  I don't naturally choose to know that the LORD is God (Psalm 100:3).  It's easy to live my life apart from Him, forgetting who He is and denying His sovereign nature.  Forgetting, that is, until I'm up against a wall, or facing my own demise, or at the end of myself.  Then, I suddenly recognize how much I need Him.

Humbled.  For seven years he lived a solitary existence, out in the wilds of the land.  Instead of dining at the king's table where he wanted for nothing he ate grass like a cow.  There was no bedding to sleep upon nor blankets to cover him as he slept.  Consequently, he awoke each morning drenched in dew.  Year after year passed without grooming of any kind and his hair began to resemble the feathers of a bird, his nails growing to a hideous length.  Nebuchadnezzar, mighty king of Babylon, remained this way until he acknowledged that God is most powerful and the sole source of all good things.  God knew what it took to humble this man (Daniel 4:28-37).

Equally, He knows what it takes to wake me up from my slumber.  I naturally believe I can do whatever I put my mind to, that I will succeed if I simply try hard enough, or that everything I have is as a result of my own hard work.  I also foolishly deceive myself into thinking I can protect myself from harm as long as I take all the precautions that are necessary, covering myself with insurance policies and never putting myself in harm's way.  Suddenly, I find myself in a place where I believe I am the captain of my own destiny, the king of my own life and am able to provide for my own needs.  It's clear I need to recognize how dependent I am upon the sovereign Lord.

Sometimes it takes a wake-up call for me to remember that I am at God's mercy.

Heard.  Sometimes I feel unnoticed, unimportant or overlooked.  I can stand in a crowd of people and not one person will acknowledge me, as if I don't exist.  It's easy to go through life thinking no one cares.

Thankfully, the Lord is a God who cares (1 Peter 5:7).  He hears my plea and responds to the cry of my heart.  When I realize how much I need Him and His compassionate touch, I reach out to Him.  And the amazing part is that He hears me!  This God who made all things, oversees all of creation and keeps all the parts going also notices little ole' me.  

He is never too busy, preoccupied or consumed with more important things to attend to my needs, no matter how trivial they may seem.  He loves to listen to my petty complaints, or hear about my seemingly inconsequential grievances, or take note of whatever is plaguing my mind.  

When I cry out to the Lord with a humble heart, He hears me: I am understood.

New Understanding.  As I enter into this sweet union with my Father who loves me, I gain a fresh perspective on life.  Apart any effort of my own, I become less and He becomes more.  My scope of vision is dominated by the Lord as all the other stuff I used to pay attention to fades to the background.  All the goals and pursuits that drove me forward now seem so silly as I appreciate my relationship with Jesus as most valuable (Philippians 3:7-9).

Unfortunately, I cannot always attain this understanding on my own.  Many times it takes a difficult time to get me to the point where God can get through to me.  Then I will come away with the realization that the Lord is God;  He made me, I belong to Him and am the work of His hand: I am completely dependent upon Him.  It's always been true, it's just that I don't always see it.

When I am heard, God gives me a new understanding of His sovereign nature.

Only God is God.  I don't always acknowledge that I am not, however.  Many times it takes a wake-up call of some kind to humble me to the point where I can acknowledge His sovereignty.  When I do, He will hear my cries and get to work changing my perspective.  Then I will know that the Lord is God.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will humble myself before the Lord, recognizing my position at His mercy.

When do I forget about God as I go through my day, wrongly thinking I have control of my own destiny?

How am I guilty of being my own god, placing my wants and desires at the forefront of my vision?