REFLECTIONS

Change of Heart

Sometimes I find myself taking a look at my own life. The wonder of it sometimes smiles back through joyful eyes, sometimes doubt unveils its wrinkled brow, or remorse streams shameful tears, and always a little fear trembles from mysteries that lie ahead. There’s much to learn from those mysteries, though. Teachers of life include parents, mentors, friends, and many, many others we didn’t even know. But we learn most from living into the mysteries our tomorrows bring. Some of the lessons from them call out our own limitations.

When Jesus says, “Follow me,” the choice falls within our direct control. We choose to follow, or we don’t. But when Jesus says, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) or, “abide in me,” (15:4) personal efforts alone don’t work so well. Those commands look not to self-control, but to the heart—how one feels toward something. And when those feelings are not right, a change of heart requires help. Jesus is the helper.

Jesus’ commands are not intended to present challenges that can’t be met; but they do include challenges that can’t be met without him. Jesus calls us to be like him. How else can we ever reflect the Light of the world? When Jesus met challenges to face alone, what did he do? So too, shouldn’t we turn to the Father?

God has given us control over what we do. We can choose to travel the journey of the world, to go it alone and ignore our feelings, or buy time for emotions to subside a bit; but those won’t change the heart. Or we can choose to follow Jesus in our journey through life. He is always with us.

There are simply things we cannot do without help. Change of heart is one of them. But there is something required of us alone—

Submission to lean on him.

You are the light of the world,

Richard +

www.reflectingthesavior.org

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