Commit to the Changes*

Devotional

Commit to the Changes

Second Corinthians 5:17 gives us one of Scripture’s clearest descriptions of what happens in Christ: “old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Yet anyone who has walked with Christ for very long knows that the old can sometimes seem remarkably persistent. Old habits return. Old fears surface. Old ways of thinking reappear. We may wonder why something we believed we had left behind is suddenly staring at us again.

The song, Commit to the Changes, began with an ordinary frustration: a revised song had been uploaded, yet the old version kept appearing because it remained stored in a computer’s cache. That simple problem provides an unexpectedly useful picture of the Christian life. We may sincerely desire change while still carrying remnants of the old life within us. Something we thought we had discarded can remain “cached away,” ready to reappear. But Christianity is not merely an exercise in clearing the cache.

Romans 6:4–6 goes much deeper. Scripture says that “our old man is crucified with him” and that we should “walk in newness of life.” The old is not simply improved, reorganized, or given a cleaner appearance. God is doing something fundamentally new. That is why the song reaches the admission, “I can't save myself by what I do.” We can recognize what needs changing. We can confess sin, turn away from old patterns, and choose obedience. But we cannot create new life within ourselves. Salvation is God's work. Transformation begins with Him and continues through His work in us.

Our response still matters. Romans 12:2 calls us to “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,” while Ephesians 4:22–24 tells us to “put off concerning the former conversation the old man” and “put on the new man.” Grace does not make our choices meaningless. It makes genuine change possible. God does not ask us to manufacture a new life; He calls us to live in the new life He provides. That gives the recurring question in the song its deeper meaning: Will I commit to the changes?

There may be something God has already shown us that needs to be surrendered. An old resentment may still be stored away. A familiar temptation may keep resurfacing. A habit of thought may belong to the person we were rather than the person we are becoming in Christ. We can keep refreshing the surface while leaving the old version intact underneath, or we can bring what remains to God and cooperate with the work He is doing.

And that work is not completed in a single moment. Philippians 1:6 reminds us that “he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Christian growth is not proof that we have finally learned to remake ourselves. It is evidence of God's continuing grace as He shapes His people increasingly into the likeness of Christ. So perhaps the question is not simply, What should I change? Perhaps it is: What is God changing in me—and am I willing to follow where that change leads? The old must pass away. The new life must come into view. And when God brings us again to that place of decision, may our answer be: Commit to the changes.

Prayer

Lord, thank You that You do not simply improve the old life, but make us new in Christ. Show me what I am still carrying that You are asking me to surrender. Renew my mind, loosen my grip on old habits and old ways of thinking, and teach me to walk faithfully in the new life You have given me. When the old things surface again, remind me that I cannot transform myself by my own effort. Help me trust Your grace, obey what You show me, and commit to the changes You are working in me. Continue Your good work until my life reflects more and more of Christ. Amen.