Jesus lived and died so that “those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). God’s love comes into your life to change what you live for.
Peter puts it this way: “That . . . you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4). We all want the wrong things, but God is in the business of changing what we want. Everything you ever say or do is the result of some kind of desire. The change Peter talks about is change at the most fundamental level. Peter says that God works to replace my sinful, selfish nature with his divine nature! God reshapes me into his own image. Amid all of life’s confusion, he transforms my heart so that I can think, desire, speak, and act in ways consistent with who he is and what he is doing on earth. Positive personal change takes place when my dreams of change line up with God’s purposes for change. As I leave behind goals of personal comfort and self-fulfillment, I reach out for Christ. I want to be more like him each day. As I do, I become more prepared for my ultimate destination, eternity with him.
Counseling, C., & Foundation, E. (2012). Heart of the matter: daily reflections for changing hearts and lives. Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press.
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