Real Changes

RISE AND SHINE FOR JESUS! \O/

By Pam Iannello (my late mother)

"Real Changes"

Luke 19:1-9 (KJV)

And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. [2] And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. [3] And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. [4] And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. [5] And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. [6] And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. [7] And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. [8] And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. [9] And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

From curiosity to conversion – what a story, amen? I find it fascinating that such great alterations of character can come of one visit with Jesus! How many dramatic changes have taken place in your life since you met the Lord, dear lady? Following your salvation, how has your character altered now that Christ lives in your heart? Some of you might not be able to testify that anything about you has significantly changed, which may cause others to wonder if you’ve ever really been converted… Nevertheless, the first thing Zacchaeus tackled in his Christian life was restoration. He knew in his heart that he had wronged quite a few people on different occasions and by the presence of Christ alone, was convicted of his heartless actions. Notice in verse 8 that this little man makes a big confession – he openly admits before the Lord that it is possible in his sinful condition he may have falsely accused others of falling short in their taxes in order to make himself rich. Ladies, if we were as honest as Zacchaeus was after his conversion, we would also acknowledge the fact that we are prone to the same type of dishonesty. There are times when we charge others of falling short in character by way of false accusation, thus robbing from their credibility to add to dimension to our own name. Sadly, this is nothing more than a “get rich quick” style of behavior and it belongs to individuals obsessed with getting “their fair share”. Very few people are content with their own stature. We don’t like feeling smaller in comparison to others; we don’t like feeling less important; we don’t like someone else prospering in certain areas where we are scraping to make ends meet, so to speak. Therefore, formulating false accusations about people we come in contact with on a regular basis is a fast way to boost our own ego and social standing. Now mind you, I’m confident that Zacchaeus did not charge people with large discrepancies in their taxes, for that would have seemed unbelievable and would have attracted too much attention to his accusations. No, he probably charged people of falling short in little amounts here and there, much like we do when we blame people of slight character flaws; just enough to benefit us yet still keep our impure motives from being discovered.

Worth of One Wise Woman - Rise & Shine for Jesus - KJV Ladies Audio Devotional

Ladies, have you gained social status because of the changes Jesus has made in your life or because you have made a career out of falsely accusing prosperous people in your sphere of influence, thereby subtracting small amounts from their reputation to put on your own account? How many things have you taken from other men and women with your underhanded comments? I guarantee you that Jesus knows! And that is precisely what Zacchaeus realized when he formed a plan for proper restoration and submitted it to Christ for approval. Actually, according to verse 8, he willingly whittled his own status down to a reasonable level by restoring more than what he had taken. This was not self righteousness at work but marvelous evidence of the sincerity of his repentance! By adjusting his pride, Zacchaeus finally found contentment in being small… He stopped using oppression to gain position; his unjust treatment turned just, and Zacchaeus determined in his heart to deal generously with others.

Could it be that we might need to do the same? Perhaps you have stolen someone’s peace of mind by increasing their anxiety with unkind remarks or facial expressions. Maybe you’ve injured a friendship by softly suggesting that one of the parties can’t be trusted in order to win the other to yourself. Could it be that you blew the details of a sticky situation out of proportion to cause the authorities to side with you in a particular matter? Is it possible you may have criticized your husband just a little, in order to heighten your own self-image in social circles? Whatever the case may be, women are very creative when it comes to the various ways we deposit words into the hearts and minds of specific people in order that we might improve our position in life. In fact, if this is your method of operation, you are actually short-changing yourself because one day God will reveal who attained status honestly - by way of the righteousness of Christ at work in their hearts - and who came by it shrewdly like Zacchaeus did before his conversion. I like what Bob Jones Sr. said, “The woman who is prone to believe everything bad she hears about all other women is fundamentally crooked.” Ladies, you can steal significance or you can earn it for yourself in a Christ-like manner. If you haven’t been sincere in all your dealings, the next time you visit with Jesus, why don’t you ask Him to help you make some real changes in your life! What happened to Zacchaeus can happen to you…

God Bless,

Pam

Isaiah 60:1&2

Copyright 2005 Pamela A. Iannello