Change Agent

I am somewhat amused by the term "change agent." When you see that phrase in an article, it always means something bad. It sounds so devious and secretive. It's like someone has a trench coat going around dropping little bits of advice and controversy just to see change happen. And heaven forbid, we don't want any change.
Now I have to admit, I'm one who really doesn't like a lot of change either. But over my lifetime I have come to realize that change is inevitable if not necessary if not totally essential. For instance, what happens when we become a follower of Christ? Change. What happened to King David when confronted with the facts that he had committed adultery and had murdered? Change. To use a sports example, the athlete that no coach wants is one who is not coachable, i.e. cannot change. If I approached life from the same maturity level I had when I was a teenager, everything would be a train wreck. Why? Because I have changed, praise God!
Now here's my point, we want to affect change around us. We want to have an effect on the world and we want to change the way the world does things. We want change in our churches, change in our homes, change in our workplace. And when people don't change, we get frustrated and downright ugly because "they just don't understand!" "If they would just change their lives, then.... (you fill in the blank)."
I learned a long time ago that I can't change anybody. Now I've argued with people about this, but I believe it is true. Over my entire life (and it's getting longer everyday) there is only one person I have had a profound impact on and been able to change....me. If you want to be a change agent, change yourself. If you want to be able to change the lives of others, change your life. If you want to influence others for good, you yourself should come under the influence of the Great Physician.
A friend of mine attended a Christian college lectureship a few years ago where the crowd was grilling a preacher about some of his writings. They were bringing up some things he had written in previous books when he was younger. His reply? "I've changed my thoughts on that since I wrote those words." To which one preacher sauntered up to the podium and made the statement, (Read this in the most arrogant voice you have) "I have been preaching the gospel for 35 years and I have never changed my beliefs about anything!" How sad. He's right in one respect. Jesus never changes. But if I don't, something is really, really wrong.
So I say, if you want to bring about change, start with yourself first. Besides that, you're wasting your time if you try to change somebody else. The best way to do that is to change yourself. Didn't Jesus say, "Get the 2 X 4 out of your own eye before getting the splinter out of your brother's eye."? Have a great day. JW