Jesus changes you

We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).

When Jesus takes hold of your heart, things change. Your guilt is lifted. Your panic is brought under control. Your bitterness is eased. Your emotional hurt is soothed. You have peace for today and hope for the future.

The changes do not stop there. Jesus is the Great Physician, but He does more than just cure what ails your soul. Patients are released from the hospital so they can return to work. Christ heals you of sin so you can go out into the world and do something productive with your life.

With Jesus’ help, you can be patient. When others start to annoy you, remember that you angered God with your sin, but He spared you from hell by sending Christ to be your Savior. Jesus suffered for every evildoer, including the person who is causing you aggravation. You show the love of Christ when you heed the words of Paul who said be patient, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2).

With Jesus’ help, you can show kindness. Instead of frittering away your time on things of no importance, you can bring joy to others or offer help where needed. You might visit residents confined to a nursing home. You might volunteer at a school. Remember that Jesus said, Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me (Matthew 25:45).

With Jesus’ help, you can pray. Thanks to Christ, God listens to your prayers. Prayer can be done anywhere, anytime. You can pray from bed, pray while taking a walk, or pray in the shower. You can pray for reconciliation with people that don’t like you. You can pray for our leaders in Washington and for our troops overseas. You can ask God to soften the hearts of unbelievers, and bring to heel those who attack the Church. Paul writes, pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests (Ephesians 6:18).

The Bible tells us that God works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:13). Jesus changes you, and He wants to show His love to others through your words and behavior.