SOME PEOPLE CHANGE

(Post by: Lilly Hobbs)

My dad listens to this song by Montgomery Gentry called, “Some People Change.”

For some reason, the Lord has been putting this song on my heart, and I really feel like I need to write about it. A lot of Christians struggle in this area. I don’t think that God’s children fully understand what it means for some people to change, or what God requires of us if they do repent and begin again with Jesus.

The thing is, we have been offended. Someone has totally messed up and messed our lives up in the process. I’m sure you are probably thinking of that individual in your mind right now.

However, what if God got in the middle of that situation? What if your offender turned from their sin and found Jesus and repented? Repented from all that junk; from all of the evil and selfishness that was involved.

What if God brought restoration and healing to your heart, their heart, and the whole situation?

I would like you to read some of the lyrics from the song before we jump in. So here they are…

His old man was a rebel yeller
Bad boy to the bone
He’d say: “Can’t trust that other fella.”
He’d judge ’em by the tone of their skin
He was raised to think like his Dad
Narrow mind full of hate
On the road to nowhere fast
Till the grace of God got in the way
Then he saw the light an’ hit his knees, an’ cried, an’ said a prayer
Rose up a brand new man
Left the old one right there

Here’s to the strong
Thanks to the brave
Don’t give up hope
Some people change
Against all odds
Against the grain
Love finds a way
Some people change

Oh guys! I want you to get this! Some people change! Not all people, but some, and that’s what makes everything I do worth it! It’s the hope that some people change and will actually get what this whole Jesus thing is about!

But here is where Satan attacks. He whispers this in your ear, “You have been hurt. They have offended you. You are not the one who messed up. You didn’t do anything wrong. They are the guilty one. They deserve to be punished for what they did to you.”

Sound familiar?

Satan’s bait is getting you to believe that you have been offended. We are so quick to believe every single lie he throws at us because it feels like the right choice when you’re angry and hurt.

However, while Satan is whispering all of those things in your ear, God is over here saying, “You can’t believe all of those lies. You are being deceived, and you are blinded from the truth. You must walk beside me and listen to what I say. Do what I would do. Forgive.”

“Sometimes God doesn’t change your situation because He is trying to change your heart.”  Unknown

WWJD; What would Jesus do?

Well, we see that Jesus forgives and forgets all of our sins IF we truly repent and turn away from that sin. He allows us the chance to start over. He takes the chance that we could either begin anew, or we could just go and break His heart again. Either way, He allows us back in after we have messed up.

Listen to me here, the enemy wants you to throw your hands in the air and just give up. Satan wants you to get mad and angry toward the person that has offended you.

Satan DOES NOT want you to see that that person has changed and repented, because if you do, he knows that you will experience amazing freedom through Jesus. He doesn’t want you to realize that the cross and the blood of Christ can even save the person that you are dealing with.

No matter what they said, no matter what they did, it cannot change what Jesus did for them on Calvary.

Romans 5:20 says, “The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more.”

Jesus gives us SO many chances to start again. So why can’t we realize that because Jesus forgives us, we should also forgive and allow the difficult person in our life to change.

Do you think that Jesus let the Pharisees steal His joy and zeal?

Nope.

In fact, I believe that anything that offends us or hurts us will NEVER compare to what hurt and offended Jesus when He was being whipped and flogged, and then nailed to a tree to die a horrifying and bloody death. NOTHING.

I don’t care how big that person messed up. I don’t care what they said or did. Absolutely nothing that person did to offend you will be greater than the love of Jesus.

If Jesus can forgive the people who flogged and killed Him, then I would be a very weak and ignorant Christian not to forgive a person who has caused me pain and made me suffer.

Some people DO change. All because of what Jesus did. LOVE, Jesus’ love, can find a way past our pain and can allow us to give that person a second chance.

 I assure you that there will NEVER be a time where Jesus just gives up on you when you mess up. When you come running home to Him after you have repented and changed, there will NOT be a time where He tells you to go away because He doesn’t want to be hurt and left alone again because you have already broken His heart.

If Jesus can restore you and your rags of filth and sin and turn them to riches, then He can restore your offender. Pray and watch for their repentance.

Christ wants you to experience freedom in your situation. He wants to bring restoration to people’s hearts and to whole families who have been affected by one person’s poor choices.

Because some people change.

It’s time for you to be like Jesus and give them the chance to change. Often, you will be surprised at how blind you were and what the enemy wanted you to believe. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

I’m going to be really bold and challenge you with this… If you cannot allow the person who has caused you so much heartache and pain a chance to truly repent and change, then you need to make sure that your heart is right with Jesus. If you have experienced Jesus’ forgiveness of your sins, then I believe that we can, and might I say SHOULD, forgive the people in our lives who have offended us.

SO WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE?

~After reading this post, was there an individual who popped in your mind that you know you should forgive? (No names please)

~Are you grateful that Jesus gives us countless chances to begin afresh?

~Have you seen people change and turn from sin because of Jesus and what He did for them on the cross?