That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.
Ephesians 4:20,21
There are these moments in time when everything changes. They may be explosive, or they might just be another step in the normal course of life. But nothing is the same after them.
We’ve all had these moments. Some of them come out of the blue. Some of them are just the next step along the way.
One of my “changes everything” moments came at the intersection of Loch Raven Boulevard and Hillen Road. No, I wasn’t in an accident. I wasn’t struck by an 18-wheeler. I was struck, but not in a physical way.
I was stopped, waiting for traffic to clear, and then all of a sudden it hit me. There was no great introduction, no trumpets announcing a “changes everything” moment, no lightning bolt. I didn’t feel emotional or goosebumps all over my body either. But I knew that life would never be the same.
All of a sudden it hit me – I knew that I was in love with Mary Ann. More than anything else, I wanted to be with her. I couldn’t spend too much time with her. For the first and only time in my life, I knew who I was going to spend the rest of my life with.
Yes, there are points in time when life changes. It comes, and nothing is the same after that. This also happens with our relationship with God.
And that point in time, that life changing event is all summed up in the person of Jesus Christ. He is at the center of history, and he is the center of your story. And mine. He is to be the main topic, the focal point for all faith. He is the first and last word when it comes to the faith.
Becoming and growing as a Jesus follower takes these four forms.
Learned – more than memorizing facts, we come to realize more and more who he is and all he has done for us.
Heard – more than listening to sermons and lessons, the truth about Jesus goes into every nook and cranny of our being.
Taught – more than gaining knowledge, he changes the way we look at life, the way we think, the way we act.
Truth – more than thinking, he is the true reality for life, knocking down all the illusions that distract us.
Learning Christ is not learning about him, his actions, his words, his teachings (as important as they are.) But learning Christ is learning about him as God. As the one who made us. The one who loved us so much that he was willing to die that we might live.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
It was one thing to learn about Mary Ann. Her phone number. Her address. What her car looked like. But it was something altogether different to get to know her. Her hopes. Her dreams. Her plans. And knowing her takes time. Time spent being with her. Being curious about her interests, her likes, her dislikes, her opinions. Time spent listening was more important than talking.
When Jesus comes into a life, we need to get to know him. When was the last time you spent time with Jesus? Just talking with him. Listening to him. Asking his views about the important parts of life. You know, the big questions.
And then there are all those smaller things in life. Are you the least bit curious about what Jesus thinks and feels about the less important things in life? He does have an opinion? And getting to know his views on the small things in life is where real transparency and intimacy takes place.
When he comes into a life, it’s not just to put on a coat of paint in the living room. He comes to make us new[1]. He will alter us in ways that we hoped for. And ways we never expected.
Yes, when Jesus comes into a life, he definitely changes everything. And nothing in heaven or earth can stop him. Except for one thing – us. We can dig in our heels and refuse to cooperate. I know because I’ve done it. More times than I want to admit.
But there is forgiveness when we return. There is restoration of our relationship. And the journey of him changing everything continues.
Noodling Questions
Describe a “changes everything” moment in your life.
How does the truth about Jesus bring you to a “changes everything” moment?
How’s the process of God “changing everything” going in your life?
[1] 2 Corinthians 5:17
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