The Power of Change
“By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect.”
1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)
Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions? How’s it going? It’s already Day 2 into the New Year, and maybe they’re not working out so well. Strange as it may sound, if that is the case, you’re really in a good place! Often, God teaches me more in failure than in success. It’s one of those Divine Paradoxes of faith. I have to discover that my effort alone is simply not enough to change. I need a power greater than my own. I need God’s power! That’s why I love this verse in 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV) so much. The apostle Paul says, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect.”
God’s grace to you is not without effect. That word means to cause to change. Your life change as a Christ follower is the result of an exchanged life! It’s not about will-power, but His power. What else could have changed a man bent on “destroying the church,” like Paul? In Acts 8:3, he was going from “house to house (dragging) out the believers, both men and women and threw them into jail.” But just a chapter later, he becomes the greatest missionary of the New Testament church age. What happened that changed his life so radically? It was the encounter he had with Christ! Paul met grace on the road to Damascus, where he was headed to imprison even more believers for following Christ. What effect did grace have in his life? The same effect it will have on yours and mine.
Grace exchanges our sin for God’s forgiveness, our pain for His promises, our brokenness for His wholeness, and our emptiness for His fullness! When confronted with the truth about who Jesus was, shame and guilt could have overwhelmed Paul for all he had done to Christ’s followers. Yet, grace gave him hope and purpose. The man who entered that city was different from the one who left. Grace gives us the promise for real life change. Grace is God’s power and ability to change us into a new creation in Christ! There is no sin greater than God’s grace! Grace will enable you to accept yourself and others as Christ does. Embrace His grace today and notice the effect Christ’s life is having in you!
Thank you, Father, that my life in Christ is not about my ability to change myself into something that will please You or others. By grace, You accept me just as I am. You have become my life, and Your grace is changing my attitudes and actions. Help me today to extend that same grace to others in my family, at work or at school.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.