Words from the Rock
When he comes, he’ll expose the error of the godless world’s view of sin, righteousness, and judgment: He’ll show them that their refusal to believe in me is their basic sin; that righteousness comes from above, where I am with the Father, out of their sight and control; that judgment takes place as the ruler of this godless world is brought to trial and convicted.
John 16:8–11 Message
Most of the human race shares a common flaw in the area of perception—we think our point of view is correct. As a result, we can be quick to jump to wrong conclusions and make false assumptions. We form opinions on things we don’t understand. We pass judgment without knowledge. It’s just the human way. But it’s not God’s way.
A great part of Jesus’s earthly mission was to show us a different way to think and reason. He basically wanted to shake things up. Whether because of old, preconceived notions about religion or a misunderstanding of the nature of God, Jesus wanted to reform our hearts and minds.
Before Jesus came to earth, much of the religious community attempted to keep God in a box. They allowed their own human restrictions to limit their perception of him. But Jesus broke that box wide open. He showed people different sides of God—like forgiveness, compassion, mercy, and love. Jesus’s life revealed that God was a lot different than many had assumed.
Unfortunately, we sometimes fall back to our old human ways—making wrong assumptions about God. Maybe we decide God is angry or mean. Or we conclude that he can’t possibly love everyone—what about serial killers? Or we deduce that God’s forgiveness is something we can earn or deserve. That’s when we need to return to Jesus—we need to focus on his words and his teaching and allow him to transform our earthly minds so we can think and reason more like him.
My Prayer
Dear God,
I confess that sometimes I make snap judgments and come to wrong conclusions. Please change my thinking to be more like yours.
Amen.
Final Word
Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.
Romans 12:2 CEV
Stone for the Journey
God can transform my thinking.