Have you ever looked at changes you need to make and thought, “Where do I start?” If not, please write a book so the rest of us can figure out your secret. This is probably one of the most difficult questions to answer and certainly there are many books and articles about setting goals and learning how to follow through on those goals. Often, however, we make this more difficult than it needs to be and when it comes to making changes in our spiritual lives we often start in the wrong place. I can remember having conversations with friends about what I need to be doing different at church – talking about ways I could serve better and more effectively. I’ve talked with friends about ways to serve within the community and how to be a better witness within the community and the world. We’ve also talked about ways to be a better Christian in the workplace and how we can impact those relationships with the Gospel. When we get outside of these areas the conversation becomes more uncomfortable because we have to get in each other’s personal space and in their daily lives. Psalm 101 offers a great perspective on where we should start making changes when considering how to walk blameless. First it starts with our heart! To grow in our relationship with Christ, we learn to “walk with integrity of heart”. We do this by reading His Word and aligning our internal life – our thoughts, motives, attitude, desires, etc. – with what we learn about God through His Word. The second, place to make changes is in our household. This is talking about how we conduct ourselves at home. When we think the world isn’t watching, whether single or married, how do we conduct ourselves at home? Do you live daily at home with integrity of heart? When your head hits the pillow at night and you drift off to sleep, are your thoughts filled with Godly thoughts or does your mind wander to places it shouldn’t? So as you go through this Christmas season and approach the new year, ponder the way that is blameless and start by examining your heart and your home.
Lord, help me to walk with integrity of heart and change my heart oh God! Help me to see how I walk at home and give me the desire to make the changes to become more like you. Amen!
