About a month or so ago, I asked the question “If I were God for a day/week/whatever, what changes would I make in my life (the life of Heyyoulady)?” I did not post my answer at that time because I didn’t want to influence anyone else’s answer by what I said. In all honesty, I had forgotten that I still had not posted my answer until I ran across this entry when I was looking for something else. (Thanks to chrislogan, ajforward007, quiet_strength, justthisonce_2 and legendairy for sharing your answers.)
So, if I were God for a day, what changes would I make in the life of Heyyoulady?
When this question first came to mind, my initial thought was that God has already changed so much in my life. I know that I’m still not fully the person that God intends for me to be.
Since no one can know the mind of God but the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:11), and I have the Spirit of God dwelling within me, then, by inference, I can know an inkling of the mind of God. But then again, God says to us in Isaiah 55:8, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." I have no idea if this change is what God would truly want to make.
But since I have (for the purpose of this post) taken on the role of God, here is what my answer would be:
Boldness. I would give Heyyoulady more boldness to speak up when she sees things wrong. More boldness to freely give praise to others for when they do well. To share her dreams, expectations, her trials and triumphs to others. To speak what’s on her heart, with assertiveness and authority, and not be so concerned about how others receive it. She will speak the truth with love, tempered with gentleness.
OK, I’m done being God.
Many people want to be bold spokespersons for God, sharing the Gospel and leading others to Christ. That’s what many people think of when “boldness” is spoken of. The boldness that I'm talking about is in just every day relating with people. Recognizing people for the little things they do. Giving encouragement where it’s needed. Giving correction where people are straying. Sharing my own stories of how I’ve known and experienced God’s love with others, and encouraging other people to share theirs.
This kind of change is something I cannot do on my own. In fact, from my limited human viewpoint, it is changing a part of how God “wired” me. In most situations, I am not necessarily the one to speak first to people. I am more of someone who observes and listens to what is being said. When I am asked to respond to a question, if I don’t give an off-the-cuff, trying to be funny answer, I may take a few moments to put the right words together. In group situations, those few extra seconds are sometimes taken by the bubbly, more expressive types, and what I intended to say is lost.
All that I have to offer to God for Him to work with is my flaws, my shortcomings, my missed opportunities, my pride, my brokenness, my sinfulness. But isn’t that what God wants us to surrender to Him in the first place?
"If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new is come!" But God does not want me (or anyone else for that matter) to be a new creation while still holding on to old ways. Before I can be that new creation I must confess my sins before God and receive His total forgiveness, and, once I am in right standing with the Creator again allow, Him to "re-wire" me to be the changed person that He wills for me to be.
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