Most of my life, I have been around versions of Christianity that strive to help me control my actions. While this may seem noble, it is exhausting!
The other end of the spectrum causes me to think of the “hushed” conversations that we sometimes have about “older” people. You know what I am talking about, the “under your breath” conversation that Uncle Tony has been that way his whole life and he is far too old to expect him to change at this point.
WHY?
Why do we think Christianity is about simply controlling my behavior – modifying my actions. It seems to me that if this were true then we would easily become “better” Christians by simply learning which behaviors to change – then execute those changes. But our cultural love of therapeutic seminars proves that this is obviously harder than simply changing a behavior.
Why do we then seem to give up later in life and expect that at a certain point we are excused from any kind of significant life change? Did we just get too tired of our behavioral modification methods and decide to live out the rest of our day saying, “I made it this far, I can do what I want!”
In I Samuel 10:9, we read:
“When he (Saul) turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart.”
We miss one of the greatest truths in the Scriptures when we fail to understand that only God can change or give us a new heart. BUT there is another piece to this truth found in the verses leading up to this transformation of heart for Saul.
Prior to his heart being changed, Samuel pulled Saul aside at the end of chapter 9 and began to “make known” the Word of God to Saul. In doing so, Samuel began to unfold for Saul the person and character of God through the Scriptures. The path to a transformed heart is by the hand of God. But if you have no idea of who God is, His mighty power, His omniscient presence, His perfect ways, then how can your heart ever be changed?
God gave Saul a new heart – he became a new person – and Saul was able to move forward with God because of his new understanding of the greatness of God.
Are you simply trying to control your actions today?
Are trying not to do bad things?
Or are you getting to know the God of the Bible in such a way that your new heart has the support and environment to grow in its ability to obey God?
Good perspective and questions posed on this topic. Another important factor to consider in the heart change goes back to the great commandment of loving others in community. Without this piece in the equation, perspective lacks and real life change is hard to recognize, if there at all. Compare the God work of heart change vs what we see in the world as self help (ie 12 step, etc). The big difference is dying to ourselves and putting God in the center of our lives (vs. White knuckling our perceived control over our behavior). Awesome conversation!!!