Changed Life

I once heard it said, “It’s hard to argue with a changed life”.  Real and lasting change in a person comes from deciding to change.  I have gone through lots of change in my life over the years and I still have a lot of changing to do. The older I get; it seems the changes are a bit less intrusive because those came when I was much younger. I remember some of the big moments of change for me. I remember when my faith became my own – I decided that I believed no matter what my parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles believed. I had lived off their faith up to that point.  I remember when I decided it was time to leave paid staff as a youth minister and become a REALTOR. I remember one of my first days on the job telling my wife that this was an opportunity to do ministry – just differently. I didn’t have the leave my faith at home to do this job – in fact, I could be way more effective living out my faith and serving as a REALTOR.

Jesus called Matthew (aka Levi) out of a very successful career to follow Him. Matthew was a Jew who served the Romans as a tax collector. He was seen as a sell-out to his own people. The Jewish people hated the tax collectors because of the burden of taxes Rome had placed on them. This is not to mention, the taxes that the religious leaders placed on the people as well. Jesus called Matthew to follow and he did. Check this out….

¹³ Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. ¹⁴ As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

¹⁵ Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) ¹⁶ But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”

¹⁷ When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” (Mark 2:13-17 NLT)

I know that I’m still a sinner. I am working out my salvation every day trying to follow Jesus closely. I don’t always honor Him, but I want to.  I am still a sinner in need of Jesus to save me. I’m not shy about my faith, but I do not consider myself a “religious leader”. I do consider myself a follower of Jesus and I try to encourage others to follow Him.  I’m also no better than any other sinner. Jesus is the only One Who can save me. He saves me and compels me to love like He loves. He wants me to love other and see them as He sees them.

My life changed when Jesus entered my heart. I want my changed life to attract others to Jesus. My perspective on all of life changed when He came into my life. He didn’t invade my life, I invited Him – I’m so glad I did. I see this life way different now – I’m in the land of the dying (earth) going to the land of the living (heaven).  I’m praying this morning for those I will encounter today – I want them to see Jesus in my changed life.

Pressing On!

Dwayne