A Change Will Do You Good

• What has been the biggest change in your life in the past year?

• Why does God expect you to change when he forgives you for doing something wrong?

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
2 Timothy 2:19

Some things are pretty easy to change. If you don’t like the color of your room, you can repaint it. If you don’t like your first name, you can ask people to call you by your middle name or a nickname.

Other changes are more difficult. The apostle Paul tells us that in order to receive God’s forgiveness after we sin, we have to repent. That means we have to change the thoughts and actions that caused us to sin in the first place. It’s not enough just to say “I’m sorry, God” and move on. We have to show him we feel bad about our sin and want to change.

That’s not always an easy thing to do. Some sinful habits are hard to break. The key is to replace bad choices with good ones and old ways of thinking with new ones. Staying away from people or places that have gotten us in trouble in the past is a great strategy. So is saying a quick prayer when we feel our self-control start to slip. Remember, any change is possible with God in our corner.

PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for forgiving us and giving us second chances when we repent of our sin. Show us how to make the changes you want to see in our lives. Amen.