Anyone Can Change

As we grow in the Christian faith, we need to understand and come to believe, that anyone can change for the better at any time. For many people, that belief is one of the most controversial parts of being a Christian. After all, some mistakenly think, people living in sin are not deserving of God's love. But that could not be further from the truth...

In actuality, it is God's grace alone that makes us worthy in any way. And spiritually speaking, we are to help each other attain a higher level of faith. One must only think of St. Paul, who was described in Galatians 1:23:

"The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."

One day, Saul, a brutal, ruthless tax collector, had a great conversion and went on to become one of the boldest disciples and most prolific writers of the New Testament in the Holy Bible. Paul became a tireless advocate for, and defender of, the Christian Faith, traveling far and wide to bring the Gospel to those who had never heard about Jesus and planting Christian churches along the way.

The world is filled with people who have lived sordid lives, only to have their lives turned completely around 180 degrees by God to live blessed lives in keeping with Holy Scripture. Surely we know people like that - you may even be one! That is also exactly what happened to St. Augustine who reportedly lived a rather extravagant, elite lifestyle and went on to have a great conversion to the point of choosing to give away his significant wealth to dedicate his life completely to Christianity. 

As Christians we are not only called to love and embrace all people, we are called to love them into a relationship with Jesus Christ--What an adventure in faith-filled living! Family, friends, strangers, and enemies alike, we are to somehow find a way to love and care for others, even if our humanness tells us otherwise about those we consider unlovable. It may involve leaving behind your comfort zone and reaching out to someone you'd rather avoid because you have a 'history,' whom you find offensive or uncomfortable to be with, or someone you are lacking in affection or respect for. In essence, we must put aside our feelings and differences, and reach out to others, especially to those in most need.

When we get to Heaven's gates, there will be no opportunities for pride and boasting about being there. It is highly doubtful that we will have the privilege or inclination to say "What is he/she doing here!?!" Truth is, knowingly or not, we are all sinners, as well as undeserving beneficiaries of, the blessed grace and generosity of a loving, merciful God:

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23. 

We may likely be asked how many people we tried to lead to Jesus Christ. Could it be our great labor, our work here on Earth, is to try our level best to live blessed lives following Jesus' lead? Will we approach God with gratitude, embracing the mandate of Love, trying to help as many people as possible to get on the proverbial 'train,' so to speak? Will we strive to help others to seek Jesus in earnest? In the end, it's really not about us at all...It's about loving God and others and giving life our best.

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