Shining Like Stars

Change starts with people. Seems obvious enough. However, we often insert an additional word into that first sentence. Change starts with other people. Change in our lives. Change in our family. Change in our church. Change in our community. Cultures, individuals, and organizations have only three options—decline, stagnation, or renewal.

True change starts in us with God for others. Sometimes I wish I could just “Command C” and “Command P” or highlight, select copy, drag, and then “paste” change into my life or even the lives of others. Change doesn’t start with them. Change starts with God’s renewal of me.

When we experience God’s renewal in us our lives begin to shine. Pulling from the acronym George Johnson used with us during a recent Sunday teaching, change starts when we are willing to shine like stars in an angry and chaotic world.

S erve - Who are you can you serve with no strings attached?

T estimony - What difference has Jesus made in your life?

A uthentic - Where are you still needing to experience change?

R eady - How are you preparing your heart and life to be used by God?

Becoming like Jesus is a lifelong journey. As we follow Him, the change we desire to see in the world starts first in us through His work in our hearts. We have forgotten the wisdom that to find happiness and fulfillment, we sometimes need to reduce our freedom to gain meaning and relationships. Our desire to follow Jesus was a commitment and call to say “yes” to Him and “no” to ourselves. When we serve, share our story of change, become more honest with the change still needed, and are preparing ourselves by being present with God we won’t have to think or manufacture light, we will simply emanate it from our words and actions.

Humanity’s original role and function in God’s life system was to act as His agents in the world, expanding His presence through the world, until the whole of creation is filled with His glory. May you, may we, shine like stars and live “because of Jesus.”