You Want Growth?

Jeremiah 2:31-4:18; Psalm 76; Proverbs 24:21-22

“I want to do better.”

I don’t know how often I hear those words, perhaps coming out of someone else’s lips, perhaps floating lazily around in my own brain as I fall yet again to a personal vice.

“I want to do better.”

What does that mean? Do you really want to do better? Or do you wish you wanted to do better, but the reality is that you’re comfortable with where you are? After all, if you wanted to do better, wouldn’t you work at it? When your mind suggested that you might want to refrain from eating that 20^th cookie, that you might want to actually get off the couch and wash some dishes, that it might be time to stop working long enough to go on a date with your spouse or go play with your kids—if you really wanted to do better, wouldn’t you do something different? You say you want to be different. You say you want to grow. But are you willing to do what it takes?

Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts… - Jeremiah 4:3b-4a

Growth requires repentance. It means hearing God’s message that your life is completely messed up, agreeing, and then taking action because you are propelled by God’s life- and strength-giving Word to act.

What kind of action are we to take? Are we to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps? No. Then what?

We must prepare our hearts for more of the LORD’s life-giving, behavior-changing Word. He begins by telling us, “Your hearts are hard and thorny.” We respond in repentance and work to soften our hearts and clear the thorns to receive and cultivate His seeds of righteousness. God tells us, “Your hearts are uncircumcised, uncommitted to me.” We respond by repenting of the fact that our hearts are not committed to Him and cutting away anything in our hearts that would hinder a relationship with God. He speaks. We hear and respond. We do not change ourselves; we simply take the step His Word has empowered us to take. And that step clears the way for His Word to plant seeds of growth in our hearts—seeds that can flourish.

Too often we say we want to change. And we blame our lack of change on God. We say that He hasn’t transformed us, all the while refusing the first step of transformation He has commanded. How dare we blame Him for our lack of transformation when we continue to keep our hearts hard, thorny, and uncircumcised even after He has spoken clearly!

Father, may we hear You. And may we not be hearers only. May we do what You say. And then listen again. And then do what You say. And then listen again. And then do what You say. And then listen again. As we go on hearing and obeying, may we see Your transforming work in our hearts, behaviors and speech—the transforming work we claim we want, but too often refuse to pursue in response to Your self-revealing call.