May each of us never compromise the Truth, but always share the Truth accurately with compassion and humility!

Then, leave the results up to God.

-Becky

Yes, we should pray for other Christians to change for the better.

I also think that we have to be very careful when judging our brothers and sisters in Christ. We have to make sure that their sins really are sins and commandments from God, not just disputable issues from religion or religious people. And I know it all comes out of love, but we have to be careful we are not pushing people away.

"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."(Colossians 2)

I love you Becky!

As parents, we love our children the way they are…but we love them too much to see them stay the way they are.

We can share the word, plant seeds and others can water the seeds, we can pray for people, but God alone makes things grow.

Only God has the ability to change a person's heart.

Changing people on the inside is God’s work through His Holy Spirit, and therefore no one can be forced into the kingdom.

But this should not deter us from preaching, teaching, encouraging, exhorting and all the other scriptures – as God leads.

Ally, I think we both have valid points here. I love you, have a wonderful weekend!

1 John 5:3
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome…

I think maybe the opposite of "change" would be "idleness" – or resisting change.

It is a command in scripture to:

1 Thessalonians 5:14
"And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

And…

2 Thessalonians 3:6
"In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us."

Sometimes, when we obey this command in scripture, other Christians look at us like we are hypocritical and legalistic. They tell us to not judge them.

But…this is against scripture. We are called to judge our brothers and sisters in Christ (not unbelievers though).

How important it is to do everything with gentleness, always being led by the Lord, and like you said, examining our own selves first and not being harsh!

But, it's okay to warn other Christians, in fact, it's a command.

Love you.

Wanting others to change isn't necessarily wrong, as long as it's change for the better. That is afterall why we pray for others to get saved and why we preach and teach, to create disciples and positive change!

It should be our aim to "spur each other on toward love and good deeds" and maturity, as was Paul's aim.

God is in the business of changing hearts and lives. We can pray, we can preach, we can teach, but God does the true changing. God wants change in people's lives, change for the better, righteous change.

1 Samuel 10:9
"As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day."

To desire good change in others is not wrong. We want the best for others, afterall. We must always look at ourselves, like you said, the plank in our own eye and never be harsh or hypocritical with our brothers and sisters in Christ. You are absolutely right! We need to be humble knowing that we ourselves have sinned.

But…CHANGE is found all throughout the Bible.

Sometimes loving one another means wanting to see each other CHANGE and walking in the Truth, and changing for the good. This is what pleased Paul…3 John 1:4 He said, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

As a mature Christian, sometimes we have spiritual children (as did Paul) whom we love and we pray for. We are not better than them, or looking down upon them, we are not being judgmental of them, not being legalistic, we are only wanting the BEST CHANGE FOR THEM.

As parents, we often want change for our children. Sometimes, change hurts, but it's good in the end.

It is a command in scripture to "consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24).

The Holy Spirit will convict us of where we need to change. We shouldn't resist the Holy Spirit's direction.

It is okay to want someone to change for the better. This is why it is a command to preach the gospel, so that people will CJANGE their hearts and lives, to repent, change their minds and be saved.

Jesus wants changed hearts and lives. True Christianity should eventually result in changed behavior and actions.

We must realize that we can spread the seed (the Word) and water it, but only God makes the change grow…1 Corinthians 3:7 "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."

James 4:9
"Grieve, mourn and wail. CHANGE your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom."

As Christians, we are changed. A true Christian will overtime see change in their lives:
2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creation; THE OLD HAS GONE THE NEW HAS COME!"

The Book of James talks about change too.

God is in the business of doing a complete overhaul in our lives once we become Christians. To repent means essentially to change your mind. We are a new creation, completely changed.

Jeremiah 7:7,8
"If you really CHANGE YOUR WAYS AND YOUR ACTIONS and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever.

God likes change. Only He can change someone's heart. We can be the instruments which He uses (He used Paul and the apostles to bring about change).

Jesus likes changed hearts and lives.

The Holy Spirit guides us into where we need to change.

I like your post Ally, thank you.

Your posts always make me think!

I love you!