We often think that a change of mind and heart can come too late.  We’re often told of deathbed confessions that lead to salvation.  And yet, the biblical story of Judas is one in which he had a change of heart and mind but couldn’t live with the decisions he made.  And yet how his life ended didn’t speak fully of how he lived his life nor the condition of his spirit when he died.  Did he betray Jesus?  Yes.  His betrayal of Jesus is forever embedded  in the history of the church.  And had his betrayal been the end of his story we could all question what happened to Judas.  But in the end, he did what the Pharisees couldn’t do.  He changed his mind about what he did.  He repented from his sin and confessed what he had done.  He went even further, returning the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests who were more than willing to pay the blood money, but were unwilling to take it back.  They offered him no redemption, no sorrow, and not pity — only indifference showing their lack of concern for both Judas and Jesus.  But apparently Judas had a change of heart.

         The outcome of Judas’ life is that he hanged himself.  Peter tells the story that he threw himself headlong into rocks and he burst open.  How Judas died is not as important as how his life ended.  He had both a change of mind and heart about what he had done — no different than that of the tax collectors and prostitutes who believed John, changed their hearts and minds to believe.  God will handle the business of all those who took their own lives for whatever reason.  But it is clear, a changed mind and a changed heart leads to repentance.  Repentance leads to God’s grace where sinners can find redemption.

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, extend Your grace and mercy to transform the lives of all those who repent of their sins. Be merciful and gracious to those who became casualties of self-inflicted wounds caused by the war they have within themselves.

          We often find ourselves resistant to accepting people who don’t rise to meet our values of life or fit within our own expectations or understanding of life.  Even when we see signs of change, we may quietly hold to the belief, “once a certain kind of person, always that kind of person.”  In doing so, we leave little room for forgiveness, redemption, grace, or the possibility that God is still working in them.  We see them for what or who we think they are rather than who they may become by God’s grace.  And we don’t mind practicing the concept of “guilt by association” labeling others in ways that diminish their worth and limit our ability to see their future and potential.  And often, we expect others to share the same narrow judgment we have formed.

         It’s difficult for us to see beyond the limited vision we have of people.  When we judge people by what we have known of them, we forget that true change may begin quietly and grow gradually.  A changed mind and heart may not be obvious at first, but grace is often doing its work beneath the surface.  When God changes our own hearts, we begin to see people differently — not only as they are, but as they may become by God’s generous grace.  We begin to recognize the sacred possibility and potential within a life touched by mercy.  What once appeared to us as common, broken, or beyond hope can become a precious and priceless witness to the transforming grace of God.  And that transformation begins with a changed mind and heart surrendered to Christ for everyone.

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Merciful Christ, open our eyes to see others through Your mercy and not through our judgments. Soften our hearts and renew our narrow minds teaching us to believe in the redeeming power of Your grace.

         It is sobering to recognize how easily the human heart can close itself off from an accepting relationship of others.  Sometimes we reject people for reasons that are personal, professional, or entirely unfounded.  At other times, our resistance may grow out of envy, jealousy, discomfort, or a simple difference in personality.  Yet once our minds and hearts have chosen to hold someone at a distance, it can become difficult to hear or acknowledge anything good about them or to receive what God may be doing through them.

         By contrast, it is difficult to hold resentment toward someone who has brought meaningful change into our lives.  When someone has been called by God to bring blessing, healing, encouragement, or meaningful change into our lives, our hearts often respond differently.  Gratitude has a way of softening resentment.  When a person becomes an instrument of good, especially when their witness helps open the door to a deeper relationship with God, we are reminded that grace can come through unexpected people and unexpected places.  It has the power to open the way to a relationship with God where none existed before.

         These two very different responses reveal the spiritual condition of the heart.  A hardened heart resists friendship, acceptance and grace.  But a heart awakened by faith becomes open to the good news of the gospel and the acceptance of God’s unconditional love.  When God opens both the mind and the heart, transformation begins — not merely in how we see others, but in how we receive the grace God is offering through Jesus Christ.

• What can we do to open our minds and our hearts to the acceptance of others through the gospel of Jesus Christ?
• How will this openness impact a change in our relationship with others and with God?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, Lord, soften our minds and hearts where they have become hardened, and resistant to seeing others with humility. Teach us to love and walk in the transforming power of the gospel.