They will never change!
Have you ever said this about someone? Perhaps about someone who is difficult or who often behaves in a way that winds you up?
Is it really right to say someone will never change?
If you have known them a long time then it would seem reasonable to believe they would never change. It’s a bit like breathing oxygen, it’s always been around and so we assume it always will be, we take it for granted. Oxygen would never run out or run short we blindly assume as we cut down more trees!
If we believe in God and have read the Bible then actually we should never say of anyone ‘they will never change’.
Saul tried to please God by killing Christians and trying to discredit Christ but then he had an encounter with Christ and he spent the rest of his life loving Christians and telling everyone about Christ.
Gideon thought he was the least and of no value but after an encounter with God he saved the nation of Israel. That is quite a turnaround! You can read more about it here.
Joseph was going to divorce Mary when he found out she was pregnant but after a visit from an angel he married her and together they raised Jesus as their son.
Do you see what these three examples have in common? They each encountered God!
When we know people who we find difficult we often make allowances for them and sometimes even make excuses for them.
We pray that God would change their behaviour when maybe we should pray that they have an encounter with the real God.
God is in the business of changing people.
The Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. (2 Corinthians 3.18)
How exciting is that, but what is the key? The preceding sentence talks about a veil being taken away so that we can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.
Let’s pray for one another that we have an encounter with God.
Honest about my faith 