A young newlywed who was also new in her walk with Jesus went to discuss problems she was having in her marriage with her pastor. For nearly forty-five minutes, she vented, griped, and whined; presenting herself as a much to be pitied victim of an unfair relationship. The pastor listened intently until she finally came up for air. “What do you want me to do?” he asked.
“Why, I want you to pray that he will change!” she spouted.
The pastor leaned forward, looked her straight in the eye, and firmly responded, “No! You change!”
Incredulous that he would respond to her in such a manner, she stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her. You can slam a door on a man to quiet what you do not want to hear, but if you have a relationship with Jesus it is very difficult to completely slam the door on the Holy Spirit as He speaks. Three days later she was back in the pastor’s office meekly asking, “How do I need to change?”
The bride desperately wanted to change her husband, but before she submitted to the Lord in her own life, she hindered positive growth in his. Jesus once said, “…why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will clearly see to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” It was almost as though she was poking her husband in the eye with her careless attitudes and actions rather than helping him to see God clearly.
It is human nature to want to control our environment and those close to us. It is natural to ignore our own shortcomings. That is why we need to have our vision corrected and redirected by our supernatural Lord.
Dear Lord, please help us to see ourselves and those around us as You do. Help us to desire the changes that are good for your kingdom and our souls…those changes which are orchestrated by You. As the pastor was in this true story, help us to be sensitive to Your leading when you want us to be instrumental in Your process of change. Like the young bride, help us to become open to truth even if facing it is unpleasant. May we learn to live lives that are clearly defined by Your truth and presence to such an extent that people will come to recognize, accept, know and love You, like the husband in this story eventually did.