Allowing God To Do The Changing
“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.” – Acts 11:15-18
Yesterday, we talked about one of the positive sides of conflict, and that is that conflict gives us the opportunity to listen instead of talk. But believe it or not, that’s not the only positive side of conflict. There are more! So today, we’re going to continue that conversation with a second positive side of conflict.
When we are engaged in conflict with someone else, the conflict can give us the opportunity to watch God move in us, as well as in other people. Do you know what Simon Peter was getting ready to see in Acts chapter 11? He would soon see not only that Gentiles could come to faith in Christ, but God could actually change the mind of the Jewish believers. They would soon have to change. God was doing a brand-new thing, and Simon Peter saw that God was trying to change someone else.
Oftentimes, we go into a conflict with hopes of our argument, our beliefs, and our words changing the other person. But if we would take a step back, we might just be able to see God do a changing work in them, as well as in us, and that changing work will be lasting and true because it was God who initiated it, not us.
Does your husband need changing? What about your wife? If you could redo her thinking, would you? What about your kids or your parents? What would you like them to see differently? If I’m being honest with you, there is a good chance that they won't change. If they would change, it would be because God changed them from the inside out.
After all, that is the job of the Holy Spirit, and we need to remember that the job of the Holy Spirit has already been taken! Many of us need to stop trying to be the Holy Spirit for someone else and begin to seek God to handle people. That is exactly what God does – He changes people. So with that in mind, may we trust Him to do the changing instead of placing that burden on our own shoulders in the midst of conflict.
Yesterday, we talked about one of the positive sides of conflict, and that is that conflict gives us the opportunity to listen instead of talk. But believe it or not, that’s not the only positive side of conflict. There are more! So today, we’re going to continue that conversation with a second positive side of conflict.
When we are engaged in conflict with someone else, the conflict can give us the opportunity to watch God move in us, as well as in other people. Do you know what Simon Peter was getting ready to see in Acts chapter 11? He would soon see not only that Gentiles could come to faith in Christ, but God could actually change the mind of the Jewish believers. They would soon have to change. God was doing a brand-new thing, and Simon Peter saw that God was trying to change someone else.
Oftentimes, we go into a conflict with hopes of our argument, our beliefs, and our words changing the other person. But if we would take a step back, we might just be able to see God do a changing work in them, as well as in us, and that changing work will be lasting and true because it was God who initiated it, not us.
Does your husband need changing? What about your wife? If you could redo her thinking, would you? What about your kids or your parents? What would you like them to see differently? If I’m being honest with you, there is a good chance that they won't change. If they would change, it would be because God changed them from the inside out.
After all, that is the job of the Holy Spirit, and we need to remember that the job of the Holy Spirit has already been taken! Many of us need to stop trying to be the Holy Spirit for someone else and begin to seek God to handle people. That is exactly what God does – He changes people. So with that in mind, may we trust Him to do the changing instead of placing that burden on our own shoulders in the midst of conflict.
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3 Comments
I pray that I will be open to any changes that He wants to make in me
This is my prayer that our asking / praying will have answers for us all to heal and understand and be kind to one another.
So True!