Change Needed

Bible Reading: Psalm 19:12-14

As Alan joined his father on the cabin roof, a large, striped cat jumped onto the roof from a nearby branch. “Hey there, fella,” Alan called. “Do you want to help us fix this roof?” He took a step toward the cat.

“Be careful, Alan,” said Dad. “A lot of the boards up here need to be replaced, and some may not hold you, so be careful where you walk.” As Dad spoke, Alan heard a creak beneath his foot and his leg plunged through the roof up to his knee. He let out a yell, and several swear words followed. He moaned as he pulled his leg back up and pointed to his badly scraped knee.

“Let’s go get you bandaged up,” said Dad. So back down the ladder they went.

As Dad put the bandage on, Alan spoke. “Uh, Dad? I didn’t mean to say what I did up there. It just kinda slipped out.”

Dad looked up. “Usually the words that slip out are those we use a lot.”

“I don’t usually say those words,” said Alan. “You’ve never heard me say them before!”

“No, I haven’t, but how about the kids you spend time with at school?”

Alan looked down. “I’ll do better,” he said.

“Alan,” said Dad, “think about the cat we saw a little while ago. It has stripes, right? Can it change that?” Alan shook his head. “Well, there’s a Bible verse that says if a cat—a leopard, in the verse—could change its markings, then we could do good when we’re used to doing evil. But like you said, animals can’t change their markings. And when you’re used to doing things that aren’t good—like using bad words—you can’t change on your own.”

“Then what can I do about it?” asked Alan.

“You need Jesus’ help,” replied Dad. “He gives you the power to change. Depend on Him to help you control your language. If you slip up, confess it and immediately express what you wanted to say in acceptable terms. What could that have been in this case?”

Alan looked at his bandaged knee. “Well, I could have said, ‘Wow! This really hurts bad! Oh, ouch! Help! My knee hurts! Ow-w-w-w-w!’”

“All right!” Dad said with a laugh. “That’s much better.” – A.J. Schut

How About You?

Do you do or say things you know you shouldn’t? Maybe you’ve picked up some bad habits and know how hard it can be to stop. Guess what? Jesus gives you the power to stop your bad habits and live the way He wants you to! When you feel tempted, remember who you are in Jesus. Thank Him for His help when you succeed, and if you mess up, confess it to Him and accept His forgiveness.

Today’s Key Verse:
Jeremiah 13:23 (NIV) Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.

Today’s Key Thought:

Make it a habit to do what’s good