Seeing Real Change in our Lives!

This morning I am spending some time reflecting on the following verses from Luke 3:2-3, 7-14 NIV:

[2]..."during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. [3] He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."

[7] John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? [8] Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. [9] The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

[10] “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
[11] John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
[12] Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
[13] “Don't collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
[14] Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely---be content with your pay.”

In case it isn't clear, the key to John's message is repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and for the most part theses sins are not listed.  The focus, however, is on repentance and the key to repentance is changing the way you think, and then changing the way you act.  John, is calling the people to produce the fruit of repentance, which is exactly that,visible evidence of changed thinking which leads to changed behavior.  This is not just 'feeling sorry for ones sins' repentance, although conviction was clearly present.  John is calling people to actually change their lives!

So, let me examine my life in light of this word!  This is the key to repentance, allowing the word to be planted, and then produce real fruit in my life.

Do I actually change the way I think when confronted with God's word?

Do I then change the necessary behavior, and come in line with God's word?

Does my changed behavior then affect others (see verses 10-14 above)?

This is a very good season to be thinking about change, for many make New Year's resolutions to change their lives, by eating healthier, or working out, or whatever.  The common experience seems to be that these new resolutions to change last a couple of weeks and then are forgotten.  It seems that the reason is likely that fundamentally we have not changed our thinking enough to rightly affect our behavior. Maybe one of the issues is that for many of us, is that our resolutions are self-focused.  John the Baptist, when asked, recommended to most an others focused approach - looking out for those with less, or in real need.

In my experience nothing helps change the way I think as much as seeing people who need my help, and then helping them.  Suddenly, my thoughts are not about me, but rather about them, and how I can help.  I get outside of my own self focus, and find joy in thinking and acting differently.  I start to see that my life and actions can have purpose and meaning, and that I can make a difference.

Back to John's recommendations for change, I find it interesting that he didn't tell the tax-collectors to change jobs. They were generally Jews who worked for the Roman government, and were considered traitorous at best.  They were know for extracting more tax than necessary and then keeping the extra for themselves.  John's admonition was that they only tax people as required, which certainly doesn't seem like a significant change, but in reality is a stake in the heart of the greed that drove them to abuse their fellow Jews.  He was expecting them to change the way they thought about themselves and others and changing their actions accordingly.

One wonders what our society would look like if everyone had a heart for each other and gave freely to one another, of their own volition, and were un-selfish as a whole?

To see change of this sort in our lives, we must first look at our own thinking , in light of God's word.  We must be confronted with our own selfish and self-focused thinking and be convicted.  We must see a need to change and then we must affect the change in our daily lives.  If we do all this, then we will be able to start producing fruit that is keeping with repentance.

Help me Lord!