The Heart to Change

For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you. 2 Corinthians 2:4


Change often comes through a revelation that a path traveled was a wrong one. However, there are times forces of status quo and false teaching can cloud which path is a righteous one. Something that can clear our vision to see is not just revealed in our mind. It is often when the path toward righteousness overwhelms our heart and spirit.

A friend and I were reminiscing about the Civil Rights movement, and we took a look at it from a historical perspective. While we knew there were many moving pieces to the struggle, we spent time determining what the turning point was. As we dived into the subject further, I told him of a revelation of sorts. Many who knew the history when asked what the turning point of the Civil Rights movement was might say that it was Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. Others would mention it was the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott. Some might even point out the burning of the churches down south. However as I analyzed all of the various events and marches, there was one event that was so powerful in its vivid imagery and so clear in its distinct example of blatant racial injustice that it was impossible for anyone righteous to ignore.

I remembered March 7, 1965, when a march was planned from Selma to Montgomery, AL. On this day, which is officially marked as “Bloody Sunday,” peaceful marchers were attacked by Alabama State and Selma local police forces using billy clubs and tear gas. It was indeed a dark day in our country’s history. However as we have learned in scripture, it is often through darkness that God shows His light to all who follow. We are grateful to many of our mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, who looked at the images of men and women being senselessly attacked and abused and said with a unified voice, “No more!” No more will we allow the injustice of discrimination to cloud the judgment of this nation. No more will we tolerate a country that would dare say we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal and then say it only applied if you had a particular skin color. No more would we say that the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness was allowable only in selected inner circles. Thus change came boldly and swiftly to our nation, and today we are better because of it.

When God sees wrongdoing, He will always provide vision into the injustice so that it may be corrected. In today’s verse, Paul speaks of wrongdoing amongst the churches in Corinth, and the depth his love for all of their people. Note the feelings here; distress, anguish, with many tears. These are the signs of pain and struggle much like you would envision many of the marchers, but for a growing Christian, these are also the signs of growth, strengthen, and enlightenment. Is it any wonder that the saying goes, “That which does not kill you can only make you stronger.” It is with that in mind that Paul noted that his writing was not to cause grief. They were to show depth of love. It is through his love for the people that healing was to begin. Sometimes God will address it within one’s heart to speak of change as Paul. Other times, it is through evidence of wrongdoing that overwhelms the worldly view in our hearts and tears down its structure to erect a view obedient to His will and that of the Holy Spirit. This is very much evident in the change of our nation that fateful day. The bottom line is whether through one or many, God can make a way for us to move what the world might view to be immovable mountains.

God wants both our minds and hearts to be obedient to Him. At times, we can be oblivious to this because our focus can be worldly. While the word of God is an absolute necessity, we should always sensitive to God’s movement in the world, and when He does, our hearts are stirred in such a way that we must act with both passion and conviction for His purpose. My prayer is that through our relationship with Jesus Christ we have solidly built a heart willing to change. Amen.