Changing Everything Changes Nothing

            “We cannot fix what is wrong on the inside of us by re-arranging what’s on the outside” - Rick Atchley.

            Intellectually, most of us would agree with the truth of that statement.  It makes sense.  However, in practice, we do just the opposite. 

            I know lots of people who act on the principle that says, “If I just change… (fill in the blank)… then I will be happy” and sometimes they are right.  Sometimes one small change yields big results.  More often than not, though, if people are not happy where they are, then they will not be happy in another place.  Buying a new house, getting a new job, or moving across the country may provide a temporary distraction and something new to think about, but in the end you still end up with the one thing that has not changed; you!

              Churches fall into this trap too.  Many think, “If we just … (fill in the blank)… then we will start to grow.”  Therefore, they throw out the pews and bring in chairs. They change the order of their worship service and they type of music that they use.  Often all this does is unsettle the people who were there and liked what was being done in the first place.  Moving things around and changing a bunch of stuff does not usually provide long term results. 

             So if we know that changing external things really changes nothing, why do so many groups, organizations and individuals continue to do it?

            Because it is easy!

            It is easier to change jobs than it is to change yourself.  It is easier to rearrange some of the details of your life than it is to renovate the core things.  Working on the surface will always be quicker than fixing what is wrong on the inside. 

            However, God invites you to look deeper.  In Ezekiel 36, he says: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you” (verse 26). 

            God does not want to just rearrange a few items in your world. He wants to give you a new heart, a new spirit, a new outlook and a new start.

            Granted, this may take some time.  It may not be quick or easy, but it will be lasting and it will change everything.

            “What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now!” (1 Peter 1:3-4)