Listen

“What do you think? A man had two sons. Now he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’

“‘No, I don’t want to,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went.

“The father said the same thing to the other son, who replied, ‘Yes, sir.’ But he didn’t go.

“Which one of these two did his father’s will?”

They said, “The first one.”

Jesus said to them, “I assure you that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering God’s kingdom ahead of you. For John came to you on the righteous road, and you didn’t believe him. But tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. Yet even after you saw this, you didn’t change your hearts and lives and you didn’t believe him.”

Matthew 21:28-32

Think

“I’ll do it now.” How many times have you responded that way when asked to clean your room, do homework, or help out around the house? Five minutes go by, then ten, and finally someone asks, “Didn’t you say you were going to do that?” Sometimes our words and our actions tell different stories.

Jesus spoke of two sons. One initially refused to do what his father asked, but later changed his mind and obeyed. The other said he would do it, but didn’t. Jesus used this story to show that giving the right answer with words isn’t enough. Humility allows us to recognize when we’ve made the wrong choice and to change course. That takes more strength than pretending we never make mistakes.

Perhaps this week you’ve realized there’s something you need to change. You don’t have to get stuck on what you said or did yesterday. You can acknowledge it and start over. True power doesn’t lie in pretending to be perfect, but in having the humility to change and letting our actions speak for themselves.

Lilybeth Bosch

Question to Ponder:

What change do you need to demonstrate through actions, not just words?

Pray

God, show me where I need to change my ways. Give me the humility to recognize it and the courage to start today. Amen.

Go

May you do what is right, be faithful and loyal, and humbly obey your God.

Micah 6:8b DHH