How Many Gods Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?

I know, the title is a bit silly. There is only one God. Thankfully it only takes one God to “change a light bulb if the light bulb wants to be changed?”

Not all that humorous but it makes a point. Because of the importance of free will, the light bulb, Me, has to want to be changed before God will work with me to change.

When Jesus was looking down on Jerusalem, he cried out “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” He offered salvation to all but only those who wanted change got it.

In Hosea 11:8 God cries out, “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I make thee as Admah? I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger. I am God and not man—13:6 (but) they were filled and their heart was exalted: therefore have they forgotten me. Therefore I will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: O Israel , thou hast destroyed thyself.” No one wanted to leave their sex and demon worship so they were all destroyed even though God did not want that. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to salvation–but they would not.

In Ezekiel 22:30 God says, “I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”

Most people seem to think that they really have no need to change. Even most regular church attenders can come up with nothing when I ask them what they are working on with the Lord’s help.

Some readily admit they need to change but feel hopeless because they have struggled in their own strength and now have given in and become a prisoner of war. The are still in God’s army but, as prisoners, are useless to the fight.

God is always looking to do me good but so often I am afraid of his good and do not allow him to do the good that he wants to. Why do I fear grace? I know that, if I accept it, I can never feel superior to anyone else, I can never judge another as hopeless, it will be reasonable for God to ask anything of me because of the debt that I owe, I will not be able to get my identity from what I do but rather from who I am in him. I feel that I will lose the little control that I do have over my life, (Such a sense of control is just an illusion)

Remember the definition of Faith? (Look on my menu under word definitions) When God calls me to change, it is normal to feel scared and that it is impossible and everyone will consider me to be crazy and it will never work. That is why God needs me to be entirely willing to let God change me. I remember one man who was caught in the clutches of pornography and was trying to change but still saw indulging as pleasant and exciting and godly celibacy as boring and empty. He complained to God, “God why don’t you take away my sex drive?” God replied, “But you love your porno more than you love me and would be angry at me if I took it away!”

Step 5 in the 12 steps of change is to become entirely willing to let God change you. My wording is a bit different. I tell God:

“Truth is, I am so messed up that part of me would like you to change your rules and tell me to go ahead and indulge, part of me still wants to return to my vomit. Proverbs 26:11 But Lord, I need to change so search me and show me my need and then teach me to hate my sin and hunger for you and your righteosness then lead me in new paths.”