Adjustments

I had a conversation with my mother last week about my brother and sister-in-law starting a new life in New Zealand. We talked about them getting involved in the church there and how my sister-in-law has been saying that their fledgling congregation could use someone like me [down pride!].

I told my ma that my brother is the one who is needed in ministry there, that's why he's there. And she replies, "Well, he's still adjusting to life there."

This got me to thinking last night while showering.

"Isn't our life here on earth about adjustments anyway?" No matter how old or young we are, no matter how comfortable or uncomfortable our life situation may be, no matter how far or near we are from our geographical homes, all of us make adjustments. Every single day. Since the day we were born.

I found this very revealing. Life is about adjustments. All of us are born into a certain family lifestyle, certain nationalities, certain traditions, certain personality traits. And we've all gotten accustomed to it, especially if we didn't get much godly discipline when we were younger.

But our lives aren't our own. We belong to God, who created us. The moment we choose to entrust our lives to Him, is the moment we start making adjustments in our lives -- our way of thinking, our way of relating to other people, our way of responding to life's challenges.

Everything needs adjustment. Everyday needs adjustments. God has a standard, a measuring stick called the Bible. That's what we need to use to make necessary changes in our lives. His Word should be the basis for any and every change that is to take place in us.

If we conform to the measuring stick of Babylon -- worldly attitudes, unwholesome speech, impure thinking -- then the adjustments we make take us the wrong way. Yes, we are in the world, but we are not supposed to be "of" the world. We are supposed to influence people to godliness, not be influenced by others out of godliness.

Some adjustments in life take time. Some take effect in seconds -- miraculously. But we still need to make them. We still need to pray for them to come into our lives. We still need to ask God for help because making adjustments is hard.

This is the journey of a Christian. Adjustments are inevitable. But so are the victories once we've been recalibrated and realigned to living a Kingdom lifestyle.