Story - I Don't Want To Change
Story - I Don’t Want to Change!
“But I don’t want to change,” Deborah repeated for what must have been the fifteenth time that afternoon. For years, Deborah had lived the life of a pauper. The open sky had been her shelter; the generosity of passerby’s her income. Now her father stood before her, offering her what he had offered her every day of her life—to give her a new life with him.
“But, Deborah, why would you insist on clinging to your pauper ways when I offer you a way of escape?”
Deborah could hear the pain in her father’s voice. Nevertheless, she stubbornly shook her head and replied, “I don’t want to change,” she repeated again. “I like the way things are.”
“But just last week, you complained about how you went to bed hungry. And don’t you remember how miserable life can be in the rain?”
Deborah paused as she contemplated these points. It was true. Life could get very miserable out on the streets. But give up the life she’d known? Oh, no, that she could never do! She would much rather go on complaining, even while ignoring the solution to her complaints.
“I can’t change, Father,” Deborah argued. “I’m too set in my ways. It’s just a hopeless case. I tried a few months back to give up this life, remember? And the very first day I was back on the streets! I just can’t help it!”
“Oh, but you could! I would help you! You could come live with me. I would give you other things to do besides aimlessly roaming the streets in this fashion. We could have so much fun together! Oh, do come!” Deborah’s father reached out his hand as if to invite her to join him in happiness."
Deborah shook her head. “I just can’t change,” she repeated.
“You can’t, or you won’t?” The question was made in a voice barely above a whisper. Deborah made no reply. She simply turned and walked down the street to continue her self-imposed miserable life.
Deborah’s father forced back the tears as he watched his daughter leave. He slowly turned and walked away. He would come back again tomorrow. Maybe then his daughter would be ready to accept his gift of love.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
+++
This is the heart of a loving Father! It does not matter how many times we turn and walk away, He will not give up on us!
How many times did it take for you to finally listen to the voice of your Father? How many times were you miserable, but you continued to refuse to change your life?
How many times does it take for an addict to hit rock bottom before he finally decides to change his ways and say no to the drugs. It can be hard to pass up that drink but when the alcohol has caused so many problems there will come a point a person says, “It is simply not worth it.”
Have you ever thought of yourself as a “addict?” What is sin but the most alluring drug? All sin offers self-gratification and the promise of great reward. If a person were to become physically ill every time he committed a sin, it would not take long for that person to stop that particular sin. But even with all the heartache and pain our sin causes us, we still go back for more. We are addicted to us because it is a deep seeded craving which originates deep inside our soul. We want it and we will continue to do it even though we are offered a way out of the misery.
How many times did your Father come to you offering a way out and a different life? How many times did you turn and walk away? Yet even though you kept saying “no,” your Father never stopped coming to you with the offer. Day after day, year after year He kept coming until the day finally came that you had suffered enough because of your sin that you stopped saying “no!”
This is what love does! Love never stops trying, reaching out to the one who is loved. God the Father has loved you from eternity and His only desire has always been to share His heart with you. There was no sacrifice too great for Him to say, “this far and no more!” His love moved Him to go the cross to rescue you from sin and claim you as His own.
Change the wording of John 3:16. Take out the word “world” and replace it with your name.
“For God so loved ___________________, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Never forget, Jesus died for you! Individually and Personally! You are a child of God because the Father would never give up reaching out to you. And now . . . He rejoices that you said yes!
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
“But I don’t want to change,” Deborah repeated for what must have been the fifteenth time that afternoon. For years, Deborah had lived the life of a pauper. The open sky had been her shelter; the generosity of passerby’s her income. Now her father stood before her, offering her what he had offered her every day of her life—to give her a new life with him.
“But, Deborah, why would you insist on clinging to your pauper ways when I offer you a way of escape?”
Deborah could hear the pain in her father’s voice. Nevertheless, she stubbornly shook her head and replied, “I don’t want to change,” she repeated again. “I like the way things are.”
“But just last week, you complained about how you went to bed hungry. And don’t you remember how miserable life can be in the rain?”
Deborah paused as she contemplated these points. It was true. Life could get very miserable out on the streets. But give up the life she’d known? Oh, no, that she could never do! She would much rather go on complaining, even while ignoring the solution to her complaints.
“I can’t change, Father,” Deborah argued. “I’m too set in my ways. It’s just a hopeless case. I tried a few months back to give up this life, remember? And the very first day I was back on the streets! I just can’t help it!”
“Oh, but you could! I would help you! You could come live with me. I would give you other things to do besides aimlessly roaming the streets in this fashion. We could have so much fun together! Oh, do come!” Deborah’s father reached out his hand as if to invite her to join him in happiness."
Deborah shook her head. “I just can’t change,” she repeated.
“You can’t, or you won’t?” The question was made in a voice barely above a whisper. Deborah made no reply. She simply turned and walked down the street to continue her self-imposed miserable life.
Deborah’s father forced back the tears as he watched his daughter leave. He slowly turned and walked away. He would come back again tomorrow. Maybe then his daughter would be ready to accept his gift of love.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
+++
This is the heart of a loving Father! It does not matter how many times we turn and walk away, He will not give up on us!
How many times did it take for you to finally listen to the voice of your Father? How many times were you miserable, but you continued to refuse to change your life?
How many times does it take for an addict to hit rock bottom before he finally decides to change his ways and say no to the drugs. It can be hard to pass up that drink but when the alcohol has caused so many problems there will come a point a person says, “It is simply not worth it.”
Have you ever thought of yourself as a “addict?” What is sin but the most alluring drug? All sin offers self-gratification and the promise of great reward. If a person were to become physically ill every time he committed a sin, it would not take long for that person to stop that particular sin. But even with all the heartache and pain our sin causes us, we still go back for more. We are addicted to us because it is a deep seeded craving which originates deep inside our soul. We want it and we will continue to do it even though we are offered a way out of the misery.
How many times did your Father come to you offering a way out and a different life? How many times did you turn and walk away? Yet even though you kept saying “no,” your Father never stopped coming to you with the offer. Day after day, year after year He kept coming until the day finally came that you had suffered enough because of your sin that you stopped saying “no!”
This is what love does! Love never stops trying, reaching out to the one who is loved. God the Father has loved you from eternity and His only desire has always been to share His heart with you. There was no sacrifice too great for Him to say, “this far and no more!” His love moved Him to go the cross to rescue you from sin and claim you as His own.
Change the wording of John 3:16. Take out the word “world” and replace it with your name.
“For God so loved ___________________, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Never forget, Jesus died for you! Individually and Personally! You are a child of God because the Father would never give up reaching out to you. And now . . . He rejoices that you said yes!
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
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