No Laughing Matter

“Then one of them said, I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!’

Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. So she laughed silently to herself and said, ‘How could a worn out woman like me enjoy such a pleasure, especially when my master-my husband-is so old?” [Gen 18:10-12 (NLT)]

Now isn’t this just the metaphor? So many of us Christians (or perhaps non-believers) have been in a situation like Sarah. Where the people of God (often referred to as “bible thumpers”) come up to us and tell us we can change. They put a picture in our head of us without any sorrow or sickness. They tell us we can be free from all of our troubles. They tell us we can dance, sing, and be merry. All we have to do is (and this is the downer for most people) LIVE FOR GOD.

Usually, after their speeches, what do we do? Like Sarah, we laugh, we shake our heads, and say one of two things; “No, I’m too old”, or, “No, I’m too far gone.”

We are a society of excuses, especially when it comes to why we won’t change our sinful ways. If they’re to old, the excuse is, “I’m too old to change.” If they’re younger it’s, “I can’t change right now, maybe I’ll change WHEN I’M OLDER.”

So why the excuses? Why not just change? Wouldn’t we all like to live how Mister or Misses Bible Thumper said we could? We all want to be free, but WE’RE SCARED. We are too afraid to find out WE ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH to succeed, that we just tell everyone, including ourselves, that we cannot change, or that we DON’T WANT TO change.

Take a minute right now, or as long as you need. Think about your life. Think about something in your life, something that hurts. Whether it’s an addiction, a bad habit, a sinful longing, a wrong decision, a number of wrong decisions, your lifestyle, or a sorrow. Be honest with yourself; think of the REAL REASON why it’s still with you. Now think of how life would feel without it.

“ Then the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” [Gen. 18:13-14 (NLT)]

Christians, the reality is, WE ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO CHANGE ON OUR OWN. But God is more than strong enough to CHANGE US. We just have to give those “things that hurt” in our lives to him. It’s scary, but IT DOES WORK! Sarah laughed when she thought about having a son in her old age. But I’m sure a year later, when she held that baby boy in her arms for the first time, it was enough to make her shed a tear.

Christians, God has not changed what he wants for us. God has it SET IN STONE what he wants us to do. His will is permanent. It will not change. But God has not SET YOU IN STONE. No matter how it feels, you are not STUCK as you are. I know you’ve heard this before, but YOU CAN BE CHANGED, just ask God for it.

May the Lord’s guidance be with you all,