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Change
31 "The day will come," says the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt…. 33 "But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day," says the LORD. "I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
How many Baptists does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: CHANGE???
This is a very old joke but sums up, well, how all of us feel about change. Change is hard and painful. It implies that we are giving up something or letting go of something. We resist change even when it is necessary or beneficial. We just would rather have things stay the same.
We are not alone, however, in our view of change. Throughout the scriptures we see how God’s people have a history of resisting change. The Exodus is just one example. God parted the Red Sea and had brought the Israelites out of slavery. But, they fought the change and talked about going back to Egypt and slavery! The known was more comfortable than the unknown.
The text above, from Jeremiah, describes another type of change that God brought to the Hebrew people. Instead of relying on the Jewish laws and other external guidelines, God tells us through the prophet that God will change hearts (v. 33). This spiritual change will not be posted on a wall nor will it be carried in a box. God’s covenant will be written on the hearts of believers. God has updated the covenant and reframed the relationship, moving from commandments to conversion, from rules to relationship.
God’s people will not just know about God; rather, they will now know God. Believers will know God with their emotions, with their hearts and with their very lives. God offered a change for the people to transform their faith from a pattern of rules to a relationship of love and forgiveness (Jeremiah 31:34).
As we approach Good Friday and Easter, it is important to remember that Jesus embodies this New Covenant. Jesus calls us to be in relationship with Him – not just go through the motions of religious ritual.
 Our residents at Mt. Vista Retirement Community are experts on change. They struggle with many life changing losses – home, abilities, and family relationships just to name a few. Dora (name changed) is a perfect example of this message from Jeremiah. Her husband has passed away, and she is a resident in the nursing home. However, she has made the transition smoothly because God is in her heart. Residents and staff alike comment on how Dora reflects God’s love all the time.
It is a joy and a privilege for me to minister with Dora, and many like her, who encourage me in my faith. They are able to do this because these changes in their lives do not define who they are. Instead, their relationship with Jesus is the most important aspect of their lives – He defines who they are – and it shows!
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Kathy Bird DeYoung
Director of Spiritual Care
Mt. Vista Retirement Community
Wheat Ridge, Colorado
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(Mt. Vista is an American Baptist related retirement community)
Read past thoughts
- January 09, 2006
- January 16, 2006
- January 23, 2006
- January 30, 2006
- February 6, 2006
- February 13, 2006
- February 20, 2006
- February 27, 2006
- March 6, 2006
- March 13, 2006
- March 20, 2006
- March 27, 2006
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