Be Still and Know - "The Same Good News That Came To You Is Going Out All Over The World"

(from www.premierchristianradio.com)

1. Colossians 1:6
   
   
   
   
   'This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.'
   Following Christ always involves radical change. James and John had to leave their boats and their fishing nets to follow Jesus. Zacchaeus, the tax collector, had to make things right with all the people that he had defrauded. And Saul, the devout Jew who was determined to stamp out the Church, changed his name and his whole direction of life by becoming Jesus’ most passionate ambassador. Christ meets us as individuals. And so the changes that take place in our lives will be unique to us.
   As a teenager, I heard many amazing testimonies from people who had been dramatically changed by Christ. I heard about people who had been on hard drugs for years and who had found new life and liberty in their faith. I listened to people who had pursued a life of crime and who then met Christ in prison. For some years, I felt awkward and guilty that I had such a comparatively dull story to tell. I had never been on drugs, kicked out of school or locked up, and my life had rarely caused anyone to raise an eyebrow. But I was, of course, missing the point. Which is that whoever you are and whatever your background, Christ brings change. He gave me a new hope, peace and direction for my life.
   
   
   
   
   The moment of becoming a Christian is often one of dramatic change – but it doesn’t end there. The Christian life is one of continual renewal as we get closer to God and allow his Spirit to lead us. The apostle Paul was always abundantly clear that he still needed to do plenty of growing. To the Philippians he wrote: “I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ first possessed me... I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” (Philippians 3:12-13). For Christians, change is always here to stay.
   
   
   
   
   Question: In what ways have you seen changes in your life since you became a Christian?
   Prayer: Loving Father, I thank you that you accept me as I am yet love me so much that you want me to change. Amen