Changing For the Better
During seasons of change, it’s difficult not to settle or become frustrated. What should you do when you need to change in changing times? We outline four spirits that need stomping out and three attitudes for change.
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1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Our spirit can be challenging to manage during seasons of transition or change. Change messes with our sense of security and comfort. These situations can be so complicated you'll want to throw in the towel. But before you give up, make every effort.
Let that phrase sink in.
Our greatest asset to the world, our churches, communities, and families are not our accomplishments, but it's who we are to those around us. What makes someone great is their spirit.
There are some things in life you can't compromise on, but we should be flexible, especially in transitional periods. For some people feeling good has become more important than finding God. It's of higher value than anything else because we have to have everything we want to feel good.
Now, I love to laugh, and folks, the time to laugh is when we're in the heart of transition and change. The best people I know are the ones that survived change, and the best of the best are those who kept their sense of humor. So you have to be able to save your joy amid transition and change.
These are hard days, and when we lose our willingness to change, we also lose our joy. If you're waiting for your circumstances to line up to find your happiness, your life will be joyless.
We often can't recognize it, but sometimes we can't see through our transitional periods because of our bad spirit. It is the height of arrogance and the epitome of pride to think that everyone and everything else needs changing but us.
We need to remember that our wrong attitudes are usually related to our wrong focus. If our focus is on the things of God, we're better able to see the world. But if our attitudes are tainted by negativity, victim mentality, resentment, revenge, and anger, it's impossible to see anything through the eyes of God.
If you're living with the wrong spirit, God tells us it has no place in our hearts. Anyone who wants to be part of the larger story of God's restoration in humanity needs to be rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, and irritability. If we don't deal with it internally, it manifests itself in outward states of brawling, slander, and strife.
What are the traits of a bad spirit?
Change for the Better: Spirits to Stomp Out
1) Scoffing Spirit
A scoffing spirit says, "What's the use?" This attitude thinks that it doesn't do any good to change things because things are the way they are.
2) Grudging Spirit
The grudging spirit asks, "Why do we have to change? Why can't things stay the same?" This attitude accompanies comfort and security. But unfortunately, it also reveals our tendency to give as little as is decent and is the opposite of making every effort.
3) Fussy Spirit
The fussy spirit says, "I'm going to get my way no matter what, and if I don't, I'll quit." They'll likely stir trouble if they don't quit because they're willing to die on this hill.
4) Offended Spirit
The offended spirit shuts out everyone. "No one gets in my heart again, especially you." This kind of spirit puts a closed sign in the window of its heart.
What Does It Mean to Forgive?
The Bible says in Proverbs 18:19 that an offended spirit is "more unyielding than a fortified city." So when someone is rude or insensitive to you, it takes a great heart to forgive them.
"Great peace have they who love your word; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble." (Psalms 119:165)
It's tough when everything is changing, but keeping an open heart is part of making every effort in times of change. Doing so doesn't mean you won't get offended, but it means you know the value of keeping the channels of your heart clean before God. That means you may be offended, but you won't stay offended.
When someone hurts you, pray quickly and remind yourself that you won't be offended as long as the feeling persists. When we don't do that, we're a detriment to the body of Christ, our families, and our community.
A Refusal to Change
In Acts 7, Stephen accuses a crowd of being "stiff-necked." This was not a light accusation. He referred to these people as "stiff-necked" because they resisted the Holy Spirit at every turn to keep their traditions above the way God was moving.
This doesn't always have to do with matters of the church. It can be matters of your heart or even relationships. Have you been "stiff-necked" in your refusal to change? What about forgiving others?
Brothers and sisters, I'm not pointing the finger at you. But unfortunately, when we hear a message like this, we tend to think this is pointed at someone else. But what if it's us that needs to hear this? What if it's you? What if it's me?
When God is moving, He says to you, make every effort in your attitude and spirit because it's crucial to the rest of the body. But it's also vital for you because if you're holding onto any bad spirits, you could lose the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
"I encourage you he does it with a sense of urgency to live a life worthy of the calling you have received to walk in a certain way before God to conduct your life in a certain way." (Ephesians 4:1)
How to Change: Attitudes for Change
I know people think we live in an overly-sensitive generation, but that doesn't mean we aren't to be sensitive to others' feelings and emotions. So be tender-hearted. Listen, care, respect, love, and forgive others, just as Christ has forgiven you.
1) Humility
Be completely humble. Recognize your own smallness while at the same time seeing the bigness and greatness of God and His power to do anything in your life.
2) Patience
Demonstrate patient submissiveness to those who offend you. Be patient during long-suffering by bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit of the bond of peace.
3) Mindfulness
Be mindful of the things you say and the conversations you host. Do not let any unwholesome talk come from your mouth. The word unwholesome in Greek refers to a stinky fish. Paul says, "Do not let rotten things (foul things) come from your mouth, but only what helps build others up."
TL;DR
Our spirit can be challenging to manage during seasons of transition or change.
We often can't recognize it, but sometimes we can't see through our transitional periods because of our bad spirit.
Change for the Better: Spirits to Stomp Out
Grudging
Scoffing
Fussy
Offended
What does it mean to forgive?
When someone is rude to you, it takes a great heart to forgive them.
Keeping an open heart is part of making every effort in times of change.
When someone hurts you, pray quickly and remind yourself that you won't be offended as long as the feeling persists.
How to Change: Attitudes for Change
Humility
Patience
Mindfulness
Related Reading
Four Reminders to Finding Courage by Bro. Chris Carter
Choosing a Grateful Heart by Bro. Chris Carter
How to Problem Solve with God by Bro. Chris Carter
About Christ Church Memphis
Christ Church Memphis is church in East Memphis, Tennessee. For more than 65 years, Christ Church has served the Memphis community. Every weekend, there are multiple worship opportunities including traditional, contemporary and blended services.
