I've Changed My Mind

By Dennis and Linda Lamphere

How many times have you heard it said (or have said yourself), “I’ve changed my mind”?

A question we can ask ourselves is this…

Are we willing to change for the better, or are we stuck in a rut?

One exceptionally chilly morning, Grandma got up, warmed up the house, and spent time planning errands for the day… until she opened the window blinds and discovered a foot of new snow on the ground.

“Time for a change of plans. I’m not driving in this white stuff!”
What does it take for God to convince us that we need to change?
Our God “changes not”, but then He is perfect, not imperfect as we are. Romans 12:2 says, “to be transformed, by the renewing of your minds” We need our imperfect minds and hearts changed to His perfect ways, especially when the circumstances don’t line up with the way we think!
Let’s take a look at how we view change in our children. Isn’t this a goal we have, to help them learn to be changed into Christ’s likeness? - 2 Corinthians 3:18. By experience we can see that when their hearts truly change, actions follow.
Over the years, we have found this to be true in our own lives. By God’s mercy and kindness, when we finally get it through our head and down into our hearts, real change in our attitude and actions follow.
As we gain more understanding of the way to live, we must change our minds, fall on Christ’s payment at the cross and examine Jesus’ words carefully.
He promises to enlighten our ways and will answer the big “Why?” questions. Philippians 1:9-11. He will give us wisdom. He will give us the ability to change, even when it looks impossible to us.
In the meantime, how do we teach our children to have a change of heart?
First we can teach the principles of godly living and insist on Christ-like behavior consistently. Sooner or later our child usually catches on and begins to choose the right way without being told. Boy does that take a test of patience! (So many times it is much more comfortable to stay in our chair instead of getting up and training and teaching.)
This is perhaps why we MUST get the “log out of our own eye” so we can model the very behavior we are expecting in our children or grandchildren. More is caught than taught by little eyes and ears.
For instance… Grandpa saw that he had a bad habit of saying something just to get a reaction out of someone. Pretty harmless…. It was just the way he had been raised…Suddenly it wasn’t “O.K.” when he noticed his grandchildren copying him.
As he studied and looked at the way Jesus communicated, it became obvious to him that it was not the right way to communicate!
He decided to change his way of teasing and sincerely care about every other person. He noticed his grandchildren stopped trying to get a rise out of him too!
Our children must know that it is okay. to admit we were wrong and change to make good choices. Talk with them. We need to be committed to change… especially when we are the ones “caught with our hand in the cookie jar”.

It is all a growing process, this learning to be faithful, repentant and consistent. Make prayer a way of life.

The secret of change in our lives is simple. Leaving our wrong attitudes and actions at the cross, give up everything to Christ. That’s when Jesus can make that longed for permanent change in our hearts.

So ---by God’s grace, today I have changed my mind. Have you?