Thursday, June 3, 2004

Take care, brothers and sisters,£ that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
(Hebrews 3.12 NRSV)

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Philip Holzman and George Klein conducted an interesting experiment. They showed subjects a set of two-inch and five-inch squares. Then they gradually showed the subjects larger squares. The two-inch square became a three-inch square and the five-inch square became a seven-inch square, then ten inches, and then larger. The subjects were not told the squares were increasing in size.

When asked about the size of the squares, some subjects simply couldn't change their original statements. Even though the size of the squares increased, they kept close to their original estimate. If they told themselves it was two inches square, then that's what they kept telling themselves, even as the square grew much larger. Especially rigid subjects were estimating squares that were actually thirteen inches on each side to be only four inches on a side! Some people simply can't change the original message they give themselves; it remains the same even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Change is difficult. For some of us it is more difficult than others. Some of us would rather die than change! And unfortunately, that sometimes happens. People abuse their bodies and die rather than do something about it. People abuse their marriage partners and watch a good relationship die rather than make necessary changes. People abuse their souls and watch those souls wither and die rather than plug in to the regenerating power of God's love.

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Dear God, help me to make the changes in my life that will bring me close to you and to those I love. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

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