HOW PEOPLE CHANGE...is the title of a book I have almost completed. It has been extremely helpful to review the material that I "learned" at a seminar last March (I think). To me, it is a helpful overview of what the christian life is: a lifestyle of faith and repentance as God works to finish the work He has started in us. Our Redeemer has rescued us from our sins, given us His Spirit, made us His bride, and placed us in community with one another. Community is not the icing on the cake, it is the cake! Of course, the book carefully gives the Biblical framework for all this and more as well as a helpful diagram to visualize how God uses heat (any circumstance--good or bad--that comes into our life) to show the true fruit in our heart--either thorns or luscious fruit. The basis for any good fruit is the cross--the work that our Redeemer did to save us--past, present and future.

I realize as I try to summarize this, that it probably makes it sound more confusing. Summaries were never my forte:( The book is full of scripture (all written out so you don't miss it) and many concrete illustrations of what they are talking about. The authors are Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp. Although this is the more recent of the two books, it is the prequel to Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands--People in Need of Change helping People in Need of Change by Paul Tripp. That book goes into more detail re the how's of bringing about change in others/in community. This book is definitely the prequel in the sense that until we understand what really happened with our salvation and the direness of our situation before salvation, we won't appreciate the work of our Redeemer. I love the subtitle of the second book because it communicates why we can't help others change when we are overcome with our own self-righteousness. (a particular struggle of mine.) People have to understand that we know that we are just as in need of change as they are...maybe different areas, but just as in need of change.

The major point that hit me between the eyes in both books has been the fact of my functional idolatry (putting something before God in my life) as being basic to most of the other sins. ex. desire for peace/comfort at end of tiring day becomes an idol when i put it ahead of gloifying God at the expense of serving my husband when I know he needs it, because I want to meet my needs instead of his. There are myriad other illustrations, but hopefully you get the point. When I got that concept...and it didn't come easily...it has been revolutionary. It has opened my eyes to incredible selfishness and sin that I had no awareness of before. Yes, it can be very depressing...except for the fact that I have a Redeemer who took care of all that garbage on the cross. I need to appropriate it regularly. I don't do it as regularly as I need to, but it has been helpful. At times when I get inappropriately angry over something, I can take a look at what my functional idol is at the time. It is quite an eye-opener! I came from a community that was learning this at the same time and we were keeping one another on our toes. That is not the case here. It has been harder to do alone. I'm a "community" person, not a "lone ranger". I'm slowly developiing a small community here, but it has been very slow! I'd better stop now. The sun is up and I must go exercise!