God, Our Greatest Need and Help

Our greatest need? A change in character! Not party politics. Not a flourishing economy. Not more church programs! The hardest change to experience is a change of our character.

God is the main ingredient we need, if we’re to change our nature. It takes God to root down deep into our heart-soil.

Think about it… That nagging, habitual wrong we do, so damaging to our souls.

The proud voice inside our head that judges our neighbor, his stuff, personality, clothes, family, demeanor, his cheering for the wrong team, and his voting for the wrong politician.

We neglect the poor, the prisoner, the stranger by withholding the very love they so need.

We justify greed and gluttony but rail against lust and lying.

Only God can hoe these weeds out of our character, roots and all.

But will he? Only by invitation.

Imagine a table God sits at. He invites you as he did me

"I remember pulling up a chair at that table. I was a young man, wounded yet full of bravado. Terrified by God, but allured by his love. Worried what others thought. Shallow roots, I’d say. I felt undone with his gaze into my soul. "Georges... this crippling sin. Do you want to keep it?" He offered, “Stay with me. Remain here with me. Watch and pray.” I was captured.

Picture yourself sitting at this table with him, warts and all. On the table is your soul’s transformation. God and you.

What does God bring? (Next article will be on what you bring)

• Grace, aka, the power to change your soul.

• Complete understanding of how things are with you. “I know. It happened to me too.” Jesus understands. “For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that you are, but he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15).

• Compassion to look with eyes of love on the truth of who you are: brother, sister, beloved child of the same Father.

• A vision and purpose for which he made you. He did not leave you shepherd less.

• Wisdom to see the past, the now, tomorrow, the path to get from here to there.

• Forgiveness for your sin.

• Delight in you as his beloved. Delight in who you’re becoming.

How about it? Are you willing to sit at the table of inward transformation daily? It’s a standing invitation.

Here’s what he doesn’t bring?

• Sternness

• Impatience

• Disappointment because you didn’t get it right this time either

• Condemnation

God is the patient, powerful lover of our souls. He tarries in the chair at the table of your inward nature every day. Whatever the circumstance, he never budges from the seat of love. And his love is cleansing and transforming you and me into the likeness of his Son. (Exodus 34:6-9; 2 Corinthians 3:18).