SERMON - CHANGE IS OFTEN NECESSARY

Change is Often Necessary

 

 

I was attending a Bible Study one evening a few years ago and had listened to a question posed by a young married lady that was experiencing difficulties in her marriage.

 

She asked, “My husband often comes home from work drunk and abusive. He will begin cursing me and yelling at the children. What should I do?” 

 

As she was asking her question I prayed for guidance in an answer that would help her. She had just completed her question when I spoke out with an answer. “Change your circumstance.”

 

I had no idea as to where the phrase came from as my way of verbally communicating is usually very different from the words I had just spoken. Then, with no doubt whatever I realized that the Holy Spirit had spoken through me. “Change your circumstance,” was His answer to the lady and to all present.

 

She then asked, “Are you telling me that I should leave my husband? Just take the children and leave him?”

 

What do you think the Holy Spirit was saying as He spoke through me?

 

Change: To alter, to make things different. To become different’ break away from sameness.

 

Your: Relating to you.

 

Circumstance:  A state of affairs. Implies a specific detail attending an action or event as part of its setting or background.  The condition in which you allow yourself to live.

 

Allow me to pose her second question again.

 

“Are you telling me that I should leave my husband? Just take the children and leave him?”

 

The Holy Spirit was not asking her to do anything other than what He had said. “Change your circumstance.”

 

What He was saying is: “Make things different. Become different by altering or modifying your situation by breaking away from sameness. You must realize that you are being faced with an event or multiple events in your life that must be changed.”

 

We, as Christians must make that same choice in our lives. We each did exactly what the Holy Spirit divulged to the lady with a problem with a husband that needed direction is his life. It was our decision to become new persons and allow God to be the center of our lives. It was our decision to do just as our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, did and die to sin. We made a change in our lives that was a life altering event, a change of circumstance that forever changed our outlook on life itself. We gave up fear, we gave up gossiping, we gave up our wayward ways and we turned to God. We experienced God’s love and began to allow God to live in our lives for His purposes, not our own.

 

So, what was the Holy Spirit telling that lady in reply to her questions?

 

He was telling her to be Christian. He was telling her to face her problem, talk to her husband, let him know of his problem and the effect he was having on her and on his children. She was to tell her husband to recall their marriage vows, to tell him of her love and devotion and to tell him how it was his actions that were destroying peace in their home. She was to ask her husband to decide between her and the children or his wayward life. He was telling her to change her living conditions; do what was required to effect a change to correct the situation. Then, and only then would she ever understand His directions and,  “change her circumstance.”

 

1 Corinthians 13: 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

 

If the husband corrected his ways then it was by the answer given, by the Holy Spirit, that her circumstance was changed. If the husband did not change then a more drastic measure of ‘circumstance’ change was required. If true love was present then all was well.

 

Though I was the person that voiced the answer, my distinct happiness is that He chose me to be His messenger! Hallelujah!

 

(Closing prayer)

 

Heavenly Father, God of all there is, we praise You. You Who created the sun, moon, stars, winds and rain, we stand in awe of mighty power. You

 are our God, there is no other. We give You our worship and we thank You for all You provide.

 

Lord we strive daily to live the life of righteous upstanding Christians. Assist us in our efforts to be servants You deem worthy of salvation.

 

Strengthen the many Christians that are faced with problems in their domestic lives and show each how to change the circumstances in their lives so as to live in a manner acceptable to You. Be with them and answers their supplications as You show them the way to Your Kingdom. 

 

These words we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who is One with You and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever,

 

Amen, amen and amen.

 

Pastor Lee S Gliddon Jr

God's Word Christian Ministry