Reserve the Right to Change Your Mind

pastordallaspettis
Feb 17, 2023
2 min read

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

There is a famous story of a prodigal son found in the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Luke which I’m sure you are familiar with. A man has two sons; the oldest is loyal and dutiful to his father and their farm, the other is immature and quite unruly. In fact, the younger son is so fed up with this boring farm life that he demands his inheritance so he can leave home and do his own thing. He has big plans to live life large. After the father determines the son’s portion of the inheritance, he takes it and goes on his way. The son never felt freer as he skipped out of sight of the farm he had called home his entire life.

Life was just as he had dreamed - financial freedom, new friends, and everything that comes with what the Bible calls “riotous living” (it shouldn’t be difficult to form the image). He likely had a lot to say about that one-horse town he called home and the simple-minded father who didn’t know what real living was all about. After all, he is a high-rolling man of the world now, not a farm boy.

As could be expected, Prodigal soon ran out of money, friends, and opportunities. He found himself back on a farm, and not even his own farm! Isn’t it interesting how, when we go our own way, we usually end up where started, often in a worse state? Folly makes fools of men.

There he was on this stranger’s farm feeding nasty, unclean swine. This farmer wouldn’t even feed him, he had to eat the husk with the hogs. Finally, the Bible says, “he came to himself.” The NLT version says ”he came to his senses.” He got up and headed back home. Going back is often a long and arduous journey filled with sadness, shame, and regret. However, God will always give you the grace and strength to swallow your pride (husks and all) and declare, “I HAVE CHANGED MY MIND! I know what we talked about, I know what I said I would do and never do…. but I changed my mind.”

Maybe you have grown, maybe the Holy Spirit has changed your heart about a particular thing. Never relinquish your right to change your mind. Changing doesn’t mean you’re fickle or disingenuous. It simply shows you are a human being capable of making mistakes, learning from them, and, through the help and grace of God, making the necessary changes to rectify them!

Prodigal never regretted changing his mind and neither will you! Don’t be afraid to transform your mind. This world and carnal people want you to conform to who they need you to be. Resist that pressure and be who God called you to be!