Change…the very word almost makes me shudder. Change is hard, and few people enjoy it. Whether it’s relocating, or becoming an empty-nester, change is always on the horizon, like it or not. “Monitor and adjust” was a phrase I heard a lot when I was a teacher. “Adapt and improvise” is another catch-phase that means you have to deal with change.
Our church has been trying to make some changes. We’ve come to realize we can’t stay where we are are, and grow. Our pastor made the comment, “The best thing about Temple Baptist is that we are one big happy family. And the worst thing about Temple Baptist is that we are one big happy family.” If we want our family to grow, we have to face the “c-word”—Change.
I have been amazed at the way God is working in my to do that very thing. (And if He can change the thinking of THIS southern raised-in-a-Baptist-church-second-pew-from-the-front girl, He change anybody! The first thing He made me realize is that witnessing should not be “beating someone over the head with the Bible.” What a revelation! And a relief! To be honest, I was never any good at that. A few 
months ago, I heard a phrase from one of youth: ” Lifestyle Evangelism.” That really made an impact on changing my way of thinking. Your mean I don’t have to grab a stranger off the street and take her down the Romans Road? Don’t get me wrong, with God’s leading, that can work, and I don’t mean any disrespect, but let’s face it, very few of us can be successful with that scenario. But Lifestyle Evangelism…just living our lives as God would have us to, Loving others as He would have (Love your neighbor as you love yourself–the second greatest commandment. Mark 12:31), that is all Christ asks of us! That is a change I can make. Being courteous, kind, encouraging, showing hospitality, looking for ways to “love my neighbor,” bringing God into my daily conversation with others in a natural, unforced way. And, 
of course, praying is the most important thing we can do. Ask God daily to help you be a blessing to someone, AND LET HIM DO THE REST! Whew!!! What a load off my shoulders! That’s the kind of change I can deal with! So let’s pray for each other, ladies, that we can make this kind of change in our lives–many are already doing it, so let’s step it up a notch. With our prayers, our words and our actions, inside our home, at work, and in our communities, let our lifestyle be our evangelism. And when someone asks us why we are the way we are, then we can lead them gently, with love and confidence, down the Romnans Road.
Let your life so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify the Father, who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
