I often think about the things about myself that need changing. I am not talking about my imperfections in appearance, weight, or really any external matters. I am really thinking about the transformation that I need to undergo due to Jesus at work in me. These changes are rooted in the change of my heart as a result of God’s grace at work in my life. I would surmise that every follower of Jesus considers these things during life’s journey. We also ought to remember that change is not about hard work, fulfilled duties, or completed tasks. Change is about new desires, different delights and new treasures. Tim Chester, in his book, You Can Change, references Charles Spurgeon’s illustration concerning the appropriate heart that one must have in order to change.
The great nineteenth-century preacher Charles Spurgeon illustrates this point with the story of a humble gardner who presents a bunch of carrots to his king because he so esteems and loves his sovereign. The king rewards the gardner’s gift with a plot of land so he can continue to bless his kingdom. A courtier sees this and thinks, “An acre of land for a bunch of carrots – what a deal!” So the next day the courtier presents the king with a magnificent horse. The wise king, discerning the courtier’s heart, simply accepts the gift with a “thank you.” When the courtier is disconsolate, the king explains, “The gardner gave me the carrots, but you have given yourself the horse. You gave not for love of me but for love of yourself, in the hope of a reward.” Are you feeding the hungry or are you feeding yourself? asks Spurgeon. Are you clothing the naked or serving yourself? The Bible talks often of reward, but that reward is God himself – the joy of knowing and pleasing the God we love and in whom we delight.
We don’t change so we can prove ourselves to God. We’re accepted by God so we can change. God gives us a new identity, and this new identity is the motive and basis for our change.
What offerings can you take to God? You see it isn’t about constructing anything new. All that we need is already ours. Read 2 Peter 1:3-9 and see how God has already provided all we need for godliness. What we must develop is our faith in those promises and the surety they provide us in relationship to God. We don’t need a magnificent horse as the gift. All any one of us needs is a heart of devotion focused on the goodness of our King recognizing our humble position before him, Micah 6:8.