Friday, September 17, 2021
by Reverend Dan on September 17, 2021“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come.”
I’ve seen a number of questions on Facebook recently where someone asks a question like, “Would you rather see kids grow up playing outside or see them on their phones?” That’s not a fair question. Actually, it’s not a question at all. It’s a statement disguised as a question. It’s a judgment. Passive-aggressive, the psychologists call it.
You see, it’s really talking about two different worlds. It’s the old “apples and oranges” comparison. The folks who usually ask those questions are the ones who grew up playing outside because they didn’t have social media. (Which is ironic – they’re using social media to talk bad about social media. Anyone else see the irony there?!)
I think those folks are really saying more about themselves than they are the kids of today. And what they’re saying is, “I’m not too keen on change. I want things the way they used to be because that’s what I know and understand.”
I read recently that 45% of our behavior is based on habits. And yet the one constant in the world . . . is change. Nothing is going to remain the same. I guess that’s what has created the age-old generation gap for every generation. “Back in my day . . .”
When we come to Christ, we have to let go of the old. Scripture tells us when we are born again, we are a new creation. And that means the ways we think and act must change.
Max Lucado once said, “God accepts you just as you are . . . but He doesn’t want you to stay there.” Open your heart and your mind to change. If it’s that important to God, maybe there’s something we can learn from change in other parts of our lives as well.
Father, forgive us for judging others simply because they do not act and think like we do. Avail in us the ability and willingness to change and see a bright, new world because of it. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.