Turbulent Change
Did you come to Christ in a peaceful, joyful quiet way? If you did, that is awesome, and praise God for doing that for you.
Or are you like Jonah and me?
Jonah needed to be thrown overboard, swallowed up, and barfed out.
I needed all kinds of police, ruined relationships, heartache and hurt.
Either way, we both needed a Turbulent Change!
This scripture in Jonah hit me today, as it allowed me to see another truth within this wonderful book that I had not heard preached before.
It is a principle that is so evident in many lives today. It is this:
The examples of others,
– even in their mistakes and failings –
can still be a way for others to understand God in a new way, and help them to create a desire to make a change for themselves.
The other men on that ship, saw the power of God so evidently that THEY surrendered their life to HIM, right there on the spot.
Jonah’s turbulent change, created turbulent change within those who were standing by watching.
Jonah showed them a powerful God by the effects of His mistakes, which we can do also.
But even better, we can show others the greatness of God by the positive works of our love.
☆ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
• Matthew 5:16
Turbulent Change can be harsh.
To realize a lifestyle you have been living in is wrong, to realize that the thoughts, actions and feelings that drove you in your life are actually harmful, and not helpful…
That can shatter a person.
Cognitive Dissonance;cog·ni·tive dis·so·nance
/ˈkäɡnədiv ˈdisənəns/
noun
PSYCHOLOGY
noun: cognitive dissonance
- the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change.
There has become too much cognitive dissonance in the church today.
A person can come to a place where there is a challenge to the their belief;
When they are told that so much they have known is a lie, that what they have been told that became the whole foundation of what they thought was true, is told to them that it was actually NOT TRUE;
That can crumble the old weak foundation to bear the new solid rock through a turbulent change,
or
It can too much to bear, so that they are not able to admit it, thus they completely ignore it, which means they will wind up having to fight it.
Because that is just not ‘their’ truth.
But it is just THAT TRUTH that will set us (And all those around us) free!
☆ Our actions will show that we belong to the truth
• 1 John 3:19
So, if we come to a time in our lives, where the need of a turbulent change occurs,
our faith will be either rejuvenated into the bonfire God loves by our desire to change,
or
Our faith will be rejected within our lives, because our refusal to change.
That real transformative, Turbulent Change, that happens in a person, can be seen so easily in those people who have decided to walk in that faith.
They won’t need to preach about it.
They won’t need to teach about it.
They won’t need to brag about it.
They will show it.
And that example in them, can be evidence to others, that can create change in them.
☆ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
• James 2:18
Some people have heard a great sermon, had their hearts pierced, and live for the Lord. Those people are great examples.
Some people have had a hard life, and had a harsh, impacting incident that created a Turbulent Change. Those people are also great experiences.
But those that have TURBULENT CHANGE, can also change those around them, AS they are transforming too!
I love you guys!
