Some People Change

The pastor at my church has been talking about different aspects of Jesus' character for the past few weeks. This past weekend, he talked about how Jesus believed that people can change.

Can they?

Peter went from a called fisherman to a denying disciple to the rock of the Christian church. And Jesus, in his first encounter with Peter in John's gospel, changes his name from Simon son of John to Cephas (which, when translated, is Peter). - John 1:35

Abram became Abraham. Sarai became Sarah. Jacob became Israel. Simon became Peter.

Jesus saw people for what they would become. He saw people at their full potential. He saw Peter as Peter, not as Simon, who would follow, deny, and then be a rock. Just Peter. Just a rock. Peter didn't even know he was a rock. And I'm sure as he watched Jesus do all the things that defied explanation, Peter questioned all kinds of stuff.

But when we've been hurt by someone, how do we hold onto the idea that they can change?

Jesus laid his life down because he believed people could change. He came solely because he believed people could change. He believed I could change. Jesus sees us and saw his disciples for what they would become, not what they were.

I get so stuck in a here and now mentality that I lose sight of what is coming. Our pain keeps us stuck in a here and now mentality, when someone hurts us, I think we lock them into the category of "you hurt me".

But what does it take to put them in a different category?

There are a hundred abstract things I could put here. They include: forgiveness, love, patience, time, a miracle... and many more. But I want concrete. I want one relationship fixed. I want to go back out to coffee and things not be weird. I want to send text messages and get responses. I want to walk in the room and that person say hello. That's what I want. That's concrete. Yet, I have not succeeded at the abstract stuff yet... forgiveness, love, patience, time...

Maybe I'm the one who hasn't changed... And maybe my trasnformation, like hers, has to come from the inside out.

Philippians 1:6 "...being confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."